Lessons
by Storybookgirl08
Summary: Beth and Ros start an undercover op at a posh all girls' school. It should be straight forward but ghosts from the past wont leave the team alone, combined with corruption and betrayal at every turn the team are about to learn lessons they never imagined they would have to. Can they all survive? All from 2.1 onwards likely to appear. H/R L/R D/B and others.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer I do not own Spooks. Everything you recognise belongs to Kudos and BBC television. All original characters/plots are mine No copyright infringement is intended or should be inferred.**

**Lessons**

Beth hated school. She had hated it at five years old when her mother had dropped her off and she had hated it at sixteen when she had walked out with a handful of GCSE's. Even though her grades had been better than expected she was still glad to see the back of the place. College hadn't been much better so to see herself sat in the car at her old school carpark was not something she was particularly relishing.

"Please Miss?"

"Shut it Calum." She hissed as she heard the technical officer laughing in her earpiece.

"Oh come on." Calum laughed. "You as a school teacher. You have to admit it's classic. Now Ros I can imagine."

"What you can and cannot imagine is not something I want to talk about." Ros hissed as she looked out of the car window. She had hated school as much as Beth had, but for different reasons. The thought a terrorist cell may have been operating out of the school where children just a few years older than Amy were being taught filled her with dread.

"Remind me, why couldn't Zoe do this? She has an English degree. Actually why isn't Ruth doing this? She knows everything." Beth whined as Ros rolled her eyes.

"Zoe has a month old baby and may be the only spook in history to actually be able to take her maternity leave. Ruth is five months pregnant. Anyway Zoe was under cover as a teacher once."

"How do you know that?"

"I read the files. Come on." Ros opened the car door and walked towards the teacher's entrance with about as much enthusiasm as she walked towards Debra Langham's office. Beth sighed as she opened the car door and followed.

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Adam smiled slightly as he imagined Ros teaching a class. Twenty nine fourteen year olds were certainly going to be an interesting challenge for Ros. He had no idea how Beth would cope but it was obvious the blonde had been unhappy about going into the field.

"Beth will be fine." Ruth watched as Dimitri nodded. She knew the way he worried about her since the attack. Beth returning to Section D following her recovery from brain damage had been remarkable in itself, the fact she was back in the field was something of a miracle.

"I know." He sighed. "She isn't actually teaching anyway, just a teaching assistant. Why would anyone run a terrorist cell from a school? I mean there are kids there."

"Can you imagine any age group more impressionable than teenagers?" Ruth sighed. "I'm just glad it isn't the school Nick and Wes go to."

"Might be easier if it was." Harry rested a hand on Ruth's shoulder as he spoke. "These people are dangerous. We should be anything but complacent. Current intelligence suggests these people are more dangerous than we expected."

"Well GCHQ were less than forthcoming." Lucas hissed as he leant against his desk as Ruth nodded slowly.

"Since Sam went on maternity leave I'm not getting the cooperation I used to." She glanced at Lucas and realised he was as worried as Dimitri was.

"Not that we ever get that much cooperation when she is there." Harry barked.

"We know Rising Sun are plannning an attack and we know roughly when. If the extremists are recruiting at high school then we really have problems. Three car bombs in seven weeks with no arrests." Ruth looked at her husband. "We only have Sayeed's intelligence to go on."

"Exactly." Dimitri glanced at her. "The information from a sixteen year old boy who is scared out of his wits."

"Don't underestimate the intel that kids can get."

"He's three years older than Nick." Ruth narrowed her eyes before pushing her chair away from the desk and storming off towards the kitchenette. Harry closed his eyes as his wife headed away from him. He knew she was right but the teenager had come to them. He had known him all his life and knew that the boy was reliable.

"Don't underestimate him because of his age. I was in the Navy at 16." Dimitri stated as Harry nodded.

"I was in the Army. Different world then." Harry sighed. "Teenagers aren't as naive as we were, as I was. It's just that if something happened to that boy because of the intel he brought us." Harry left the rest of the sentance unsaid as Lucas got to his feet.

"I'm meeting him at the football pitch in about an hour. His dad has been a sleeper agent for years. He knew what he was getting into. If Ruth lets her heart rule her head on this one it isn't just Sayeed that is in danger. Beth and Ros are in the field. It's them that I'm concerned about." He grabbed his jacket as Harry nodded. He knew the Senior Case Officer was right. He just didn't know what to do about it.

###########################################

Ros walked along the school corridor towards the Head Teacher's office as the bell sounded for the end of second lesson. The smells and sounds of the school still made her feel sick, just as it had at fifteen. Not for the first time she wondered if someone else would have been a better choice. She knocked the door before walking in as a middle aged man got to his feet.

"Rachel, good to meet you once more." He extended a hand as she smiled slightly before shaking it.

"Thank you."

"Have you found the staff room yet? I know being a supply teacher can be difficult." He watched as Ros sat down.

"I'm just covering maternity leave. Julie will be back before you know it. And it's almost half term so you wont have to put up with me for long."

He smiled slightly as Ros looked around the room. A photograph of teenage children and a middle aged woman smiled at her. A certificate hung on the wall behind him as Ros faked a smile. He was the slimiest middle aged man she had encountered in a long time.

"And we were lucky to get Lizzy too. It's fortunate the agency could send you both on the same assignment as it were. How are you related again?"

"Liz is my sister." Ros lied.

"Oh yes." He smiled. "That should be interesting."

Ros smiled back. She had a feeling he was right.

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A/N Worth going on?Not sure about this and I know there was a series 8 (?) episode with a teenage informant but this has a twist. School was one of the most terrifying places I ever knew so maybe Lucas is right to be worried about Ros and Beth! Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer I do not own Spooks.**

**Teenage Kicks.**

Lucas pulled his collar closer to him as he walked across the sportsfield. The bitter winter weather was doing nothing to raise his spirits. He could see the gang of teenage lads kicking the ball around at the far end of the pitch. They were all impossibly young and he couldn't help but think what James and his friends would be like in a few years time. For a moment he felt impossibly old. Shoving his hands in his pockets he made his way across to Sayeed wondering, not for the first time if Ruth was right.

"Saye!" He called as the teenager rolled his eyes and strolled over to him. It seemed the football mad kid had all the time in the world. Lucas didn't.

#################

Ruth swore as she opened the fridge. She was embarrased about the way she had reacted in front of the others but she just didn't understand how they could take the involvement of a teenager so lightly, as if it was almost routine. She glared at the half empty milk carton in the fridge as if it was a nuclear weapon about to explode in her face. That was another thing. No one cared anymore. Sighing heavily she reached out and picked up the milk carton, determined not to cry. It had been Tariq's turn to buy the milk but that had always been a bit hit and miss. She swore under her breath as she realised the milk was definately off. She shook her head as she poured it down the sink.

"Next time. I'll buy it." She rested her hand on her baby bump as she heard Harry chuckle from the doorway.

"I'll tell Tariq." Harry stated calmly. "Ruth, please."

"His mum works in a shop and he still can't manage to buy milk." She avoided his gaze as Harry folded his arms.

"We will look after Sayeed."

"Will we? He's 16."

"Yes, I know." Harry stepped towards her. "His dad has been a sleeper agent since before he was born. Ahmed knows what his boy is getting into."

"How?" Ruth turned to face him. "I can't see him going to his father. Oh dad, by the way I'm an MI 5 informant. Can I have some pocket money?"

Harry smiled as he stepped towards her, making the small space between them almost minute. Before she could turn away he rested one hand on her shoulder.

"Ruth."

"He's just a boy. Three years older than Nick and Wes. Can you imagine either of them as informants? All they are interested in is rugby, computer games and girls. Wes is besotted with Molly. Nick doesn't stop talking about Lucy in year 10. That's what teenage boys should be worried about. Not about potential terrorist activity at school."

"Wes, yes I can imagine him as a spook, never mind as an informant. Look who his parents are." Harry smiled. "And his gran has been a sleeper since she was pregnant with Adam."

"Harry, don't make fun of me." She snapped as she turned away.

"I'm not." He grabbed her hand as he pulled her back to him. Her eyes met his as his heart almost broke at the pain in them. "I am not making fun of you. Sayeed is sixteen. Remember what we were like at sixteen? I was heading off to the army. Years before you were even out of Primary School. But at that age you were trying to start a new life in London with your aunt."

"Not by choice." Ruth sighed. "Just because we were forced to grow up at that age doesn't mean all kids are like could ruin his life, if it doesn't kill him."

"I know. I also know we need his intelligence to stop Rising Sun from destroying half of London. You know that intelligence is vital to what we do, you said it yourself. If he hadn't brought us information about his teachers we never would have known to look there. And his father does know. I told him."

"You told Ahmed." Ruth raised an eyebrow as she spoke.

"Yes."

"But."

"I know all our legitimate informants are required to be over eighteen years old. He's still a child in the eyes of the law. He may be able to marry, join the army as I did but he will always be a child until the age of eighteen. Ahmed has a right to know. If it was Graham or Nick I'd want to know. Ahmed can help protect him, he's been a sleeper for almost forty years."

"But?"

"Ruth, I am not the hard hearted bastard people take me for. I thought you knew that." Harry spoke quietly as Ruth touched his face.

"I know." She kissed him briefly, still not entirely reassured that Sayeed was safe. "Hormones?"

"No." Harry smiled slightly. "You. I know what you are like regarding children. We will look after him. Lucas has gone to meet him."

"Now?"

"Yes, now." Harry squeezed her hand. "We need the information to help Ros and Beth." Ruth nodded before pulling away and stepping past him onto the main Grid. He had a feeling the discussion was far from over.

####################

Dimitri narrowed his eyes as he stared out of the car window. The ice and snow clung to the pavements and verges like an artic cloak as he waited for Erin to walk back from the car. Not for the first time he wondered how she managed to walk in the heels she was currently negotiating the tarmac with. Beth,zoe, Ruth and Ros rarely if ever wore them and he just didn't see how they were practical.

"I don't like this." Erin stated as she opened the car door.

"What happened?"

"Drive." Erin glanced back over her shoulder as Dimitri started the engine.

"Did you get the information?"

"Yes. Now drive." Erin tugged her seatbelt on as Dimitri realised exactly how nervous Erin was. She slipped her hand into her jeans and pulled out her gun as Dimitri floored the accelerator.

"Shit."

"Yeah, that's about to hit the fan." Erin forced herself to keep her eyes on the road in front as tyres squealed behind them. "We have to get back to Thames House. The information on the memory stick Karen gave me should help."

"Why the rush?"

"When I say gave, I may have been applying the term loosely." Erin admitted as she sunk lower in her seat.

"You stole it." Dimitri laughed. "You've been around Beth too much."

"Shut up and drive." Erin smirked as the streets of London sped past.

###################################

Beth stared at the kids in the sports hall as twenty teenage girls glared back. Instantly memories of bad tempered hockey matches and overly competative netball games sprung to mind. She smiled slightly as she walked in, knowing the private school was a world away from her run down, rough comprehensive. Looking at the faces of the girls she began to see why her parents had always told her to be grateful for what she had. None of the girls had any idea of what happened in the real world.

"Everyone." The teacher yelled. "This is Liz Northey, she's my new teaching assistant."

"Another one?" A red haired teenager sneered as Beth narrowed her eyes.

"Yes. Miss Northey, this is Priscilla."

"Is it?" Beth narrowed her eyes.

"Yes, we were just discussing the rules of hockey." Beth nodded as the teacher handed her a hockey stick.

"I always find playing is much more effective." Beth stared at Priscilla.

"Oh yes!" The teacher gushed. "Yes, we should pick teams!" Beth groaned inwardly, knowing that she was going to hate every second of the assignment.

#############################

"Well? How was school?" Adam laughed as Ros stared out over the playing field watching Beth's class.

"As shit as it was twenty years ago."

"Find anything?" Adam walked along Oxford Street with Zaf as he talked on his mobile. Zaf smirked as he overheard a string of expletives.

"Now, Ros." Adam continued. "There are children present."

"These are not children. Wes, James and Amy are children. Izzy, Emma, Rosie and Nick are children. These are the spawn of Satan."

"Ros."

"No, nothing concrete yet. The headmaster is a worry. He's too perfect. Too careful around me. The french teacher is just plain weird."

"That's french teachers." Adam tried not to laugh as they reached the car. "Look, get back to the Grid as soon as you can. Erin and Dimitri have some information. Malcolm and Tariq are working on it. It'll be a while before Ruth can analyse what's on it though. Even Calum hasn't seen the decryption on this stuff yet. He's with Lucas." Adam opened the car door as Zaf started the engine.

"I'll be back as soon as I can. Any word from Lucas?"

"Nothing as yet." Adam narrowed his eyes as he saw a car speed past them. He took Ros' silence as a sign she was less than happy with the situation. He just hoped Lucas hadn't got himself into trouble. Nothing about this case was as it seemed and Adam just couldn't shake the feeling that things were going to get much worse.

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A/N more soon. Please review.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer not mine**

**The Kids are Alright?**

Ros shoved her hands in her coat pockets as she walked into the playground. Various teachers made their way towards their cars as she waited for Beth to reach her. The younger woman looked exhausted as she reached her.

"Miss! Miss" Ros rolled her eyes as she turned to face a fifteen year old girl that thought she knew everything.

"Julie."

"Is that your girlfriend Miss?" She nodded towards Beth and laughed as Beth glared at her. Ros smiled sweetly before walking towards the teenager.

"Now." Ros smirked slightly. "That is my sister. You know the concept? Two genetically related people who share the same parents are known as siblings. I may have to have a word with your biology teacher."

"Miss." Julie looked suitably dejected.

"Good. Now remember I am expecting that homework tomorrow morning."

Beth shook her head slowly as the cheeky teenager skulked away, embarrassed that she hadn't managed to upset the new teachers. Ros glared after her before turning and walking back to Beth.

"Alright?" Beth asked innocently.

"I am always alright." Ros deadpanned before unlocking the car. "Come on." Beth slipped into the passenger seat of the car as Ros started the engine.

#############################

"Anything?" Adam jogged down the steps towards Ruth as she shook her head slightly.

"Rising Sun have emerged from nowhere."

"Any news from Lucas?" Tariq asked as he slipped into his seat. Malcolm shook his head as he continued to study his computer. A hazy CCTV image played out on the screen in front of him.

Ruth rested her head on one hand as she stared at the computer in front of her. The headache that had started when she had been with Harry that morning was beginning to make her feel sick. Shaking her head slightly she tried to focus on the information GCHQ had finally sent to her.

"Calum and Lucas should have checked in by now." Erin stated as the Pod doors whooshed open. Ruth looked up as Lucas and Calum silently rejoined the team.

"Where have you been hiding?" Dimitri laughed as he emerged from the Pods.

"Sayeed is in a lot of trouble." Calum ran a hand through his hair as he ignored the question from Dimitri. Lucas sat down heavily as he thought of the skinny teenage lad he had come to befriend. He genuinely liked the kid and the last thing he wanted was for the boy to be dragged any deeper into their world.

"What trouble?" Ruth immediately forgot her headache as Lucas sighed heavily.

"This school is a private all girls high school. Mostly day attenders, yeah?" Calum watched as Ruth nodded.

"So?" Erin asked. Harry appeared in the doorway of his office, listening quietly as his team tried to make sense of the information.

"So, how is Sayeed even aware of what goes on there?" Calum asked as Lucas leant on his desk.

"Age old answer to that." Lucas smiled. "Women." Ruth and Erin shot him a look as he smirked.

"Say that again." Erin glared as Calum laughed slightly. He knew his best friend was more of a feminist that she let on and it was nice to be able to tease her occasionally. Lucas smiled back.

"Sayeed has a girlfriend that goes to the school. Apparently she's in the sixth form and is in one of Ros' classes. Hayley Scott is the sixteen year old daughter of one of the most well known white extremists in the country. Damion Scott."

"Oh God." Ruth closed her eyes as her brain started to go into overdrive. "I hoped he was in prison."

"Always manages to stay one step ahead of the law." Adam explained as Tariq nodded. Both he and Zaf had fallen quiet during Lucas' explanation.

"Yeah." Calum nodded. "Anyway, Sayeed says he believes Damion is now acting the part of respectable father and is on the PTA at his daughter's school. Even attends meetings there."

"I am assuming his daughter is more enlightened than him?" Harry spoke for the first time as Lucas nodded.

"Yes, thankfully she has a brain in her head. I can only assume she takes after her now dead mum."

"Her mum is dead? Poor kid." Erin sighed as she thought of Rosie. There was no way she was risking her life when her six year old needed her. She couldn'timagine what it must be like to grow up without a parent. Rosie had already lost her dad.

"Car accident in 1997. Hayley was one years old." Ruth tapped a few keys. No one dared ask which data base she was hacking into now.

"Anyway." Zaf prompted.

"Sayeed believes something is being planned at the school. That Damion is attracting more idiots to his cause. It seems he is using the PTA to recruit others and that something is planned for the end of the school term." Lucas watched as his colleagues fell silent.

"He's using the school as a base." Calum stated rather unhelpfully as Harry nodded.

"So, all we really have is the word of a love struck sixteen year old boy who knows his girlfriend's father is going to hate him on sight." Harry couldn't help the smirk that crossed his face as Calum shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Ruth raised an eyebrow hoping that Harry didn't say anything else to make the new boy feel uncomfortable. No one really knew what was going on between Catherine and Calum anyway. Harry turned his attention to Ruth as the phone on Malcolm's desk began to ring.

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"Anything?" Ros asked as she turned the car back towards Thames House. The rain began in earnest, making visability a problem.

"Apart from the fact I am so glad I went to state school. Those girls have everything on a plate and none of them appreciates it." Beth shook her head slightly as Ros nodded.

"I went to private school." Ros stated as Beth closed her eyes. She always managed to get in her boss' bad books, usually without even trying.

"Ros."

"And you are right." Ros smiled slightly.

"Did you find anything?"

"The french teacher is a worry and the headmaster is a creep. Nothing that breaks the law though." She slowed the car slightly as a green Ford Focus seemed to be directly behind her.

"The PTA has a social evening this weekend. Might be worth looking into." Beth fought the urge to turn as Ros pushed her foot to the accelerator.

"Shit."

"What?"

"I think we have guests."

"We're being followed." Beth reached for her gun as Ros nodded once.

"Tenacious little fellas." Ros smiled as she wove in and out of traffic, hoping that her persuers would get the hint. Beth fell silent as she watched the car in the mirror determined not to show Ros how worried she really was.

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"Tariq is trying to decode the memory stick Erin and Dimitri brought back with them." Ruth stated as she closed Harry's office door behind her. Harry nodded once before looking up.

"Any progress?"

"No." Ruth sighed. "Can we be sure we can do this? Rely on the word of a scared child?"

"Children rarely lie." Harry got to his feet. "Not about something like this." Ruth nodded once as she listened to her husband. She knew he was right.

"What if Damion finds out Sayeed came to us? He's a violent man, Sayeed is not much older than our Nick." She closed her eyes as she spoke before shaking her head and looking anywhere but at Harry.

"I know." Harry spoke quietly as Ruth sighed. Even now she knew he was trying to get her on side. There was no way she was going to be comfortable using teenage assets.

"And Hayley? Her mother died in suspicious circumstances the same could happen to her."

"It wont." Harry rested his hands on her shoulders. "I have asked Special Branch to follow her and Sayeed for the moment. Ahmed knows who his son is dating and that he came to us with information. There is nothing that I can see that could mean his intel is invalid. I believe he heard or saw something before he came to me. If we let this threat drop and something happened how could we justify it?"

"I understand that." Ruth huffed. "It doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Ruth?" Harry stared at her pale face as she met his gaze. She nodded once before closing her eyes again.

"Headache. I'm fine."

"Ruth?"

"Any news from Ros and Beth?"

"Beth called in. They are ok, seem to have acquired a tale. Ros was going to shake them off before coming in. Calum is running the plates though the DVLA database."

"Ah."

"And don't give Calum such a hard time." Ruth smiled as Harry did his best to look innocent. "We could have worse son in laws." She touched his face as he groaned in mock pain before leaving his office.

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A/N More soon. Who's following the girls? Is Ruth ok and can the team protect the teenage couple while preventing whatever it is Damion is up to? Please review.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer. Spooks still doesn't belong to me. Extra long chapter to make up for me not being around much, blinking winter vomiting virus :(**

**Out of the Mouths of Babes.**

Ros perched herself on the edge of Lucas' desk as she watched Harry pace his office. It had been three days since her and Beth had been followed half way around London and they were still no closer to finding out who had been behind the wheel. She shook her head slowly as she watched the Section Head slam the phone on the desk before returning to his seat. Ruth raised her head and smiled slightly as she saw what Ros was watching.

"He seems a bit." Ros shrugged her shoulders.

"He's fine." Ruth smiled as she thought of her husband and quickly averted her eyes away from the office as he undid his collar. Ros rolled her eyes.

"Ruth, are you well? You've been lookioing a bit pale lately." Ros changed the subject as Adam slumped in the chair next to them.

"Yes." She smiled slightly, glad for the excuse to change the subject. "Just a bit quesy."

"What's up with Harry?" Adam smiled as he watched his friend start another irate phone conversation with someone unfortuante enough to be on the revieving end of Harry's legendary temper.

"Olympics." Ruth sighed as Adam and Ros exchanged glances. None of them were looking forward to the summer games. It was set to be the busiest summer since the counter terrorism unit was created and no one was looking forward to it.

"Any idea who was hanging off my tale last Monday?" Ros folded her arms as Malcolm approached.

"No." He waited for the usual death glare but Ros merely closed her eyes. "Calum is running the footage through the facial recognition programme again but even with the enhanced features we borrowed from with cousins it is proving problematic. Anyway, shouldn't you be at school young lady?" Malcolm couldn't help but smirk as Adam and Ruth fought the urge to burst out laughing. Ros raised an eyebrow.

"I'm playing truent."

Ruth shook her head as Adam failed to hold in the laughter before getting to her feet and walking towards Harry's office.

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Erin walked alongside Calum as they made their way towards the dingy flat Calum's contact had requested to use as a meeting place. The icy cold February weather bit into her bones as she pulled her black great coat around her.

"Cold?"

"Cal." Erin stopped in her tracks as a small green car sped past.

"Yeah?" She touched his arm and ushered him into the alcove behind the block of flats as she tried to get a look at the driver. Calum swore under his breath as he recognised the small vehicle.

"What is going on with you and Catherine Pearce?"

"What?" Calum hissed as Erin continued staring past him towards the road.

"You and the boss' daughter."

"Is this really the time for this?" He stepped past her towards the main entrance to the block of flats. Erin smiled and shook her head.

"Oh yes." She smiled. There was definately something between her friend and the boss' daughter and she was determined to find out what was going on.

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"Harry." Ruth closed the door behind her as he ended the phone call.

"Olympics are more trouble than they are worth. The Home Secretary wants to meet with me and Ros tomorrow morning. Never mind the fact we are in the middle of an active operation." He frowned as he looked at his wife. She was paler than she had been that morning at the daily briefing. She nodded once.

"It's the first time it's been hosted in London since the War. You can understand why they are getting so worked up about it. Nearly every extremist and protest group want to have a shot at taking it down. So far the only ones not to come up on my radar with regards to the Games are the Keep Britain Tidy brigade."

"Ruth?" Harry crossed to her as she rested her head back on the door.

"I'm fine. Tired, that's all. I suppose it's to be expected at my age."

"You are 41 not 81."

"And pregnant. I'm beginning to think this pregnancy business should be left to the women Catherine's age. Not older women like me."

He brushed her hair away from her face as he held her gaze.

"You don't mean that."

"No." She agreed quietly. "It's just this headache."

"You are still having headaches? Ruth." He started as she rested a finger on his lips.

"I have an appointement with the opticians. It's fine." She smiled as he kissed her fingers. Neither of them seemed to notice her wedding ring was tight on her finger as she slipped her fingers away from his lips and walked towards the battered old sofa in the corner. "Anyway, we still have no idea who was following Beth and Ros. Malcolm is looking into it but isn't hopeful. Hayley's dad really is as bad as he seems. So far I've traced his name to two defunct racist groups and to one very prolific piece of propaganda. You know the type of xenophobic racist nonsense that rears its head occasionally."

Harry nodded as he sat next to her. Ruth fell silent for a moment as she thought of the young boy that had brought the information to them that had started the whole operation.

"Sadly yes." He took her hand in his own as he rubbed his thumb over her wedding and eternity rings. For a moment he was certain her hands felt different. But Ruth was all business.

"I traced the publication of the last one he wrote an article to. It's a flat in Wandsworth. Zaf and Dimitri are on the way there now. Ros is heading back to the school. She wants to attend the parent/teachers night on Thursday. Beth will be with her. She seems to think there are more teachers involved in this than Sayeed first thought." She ran a hand through her hair as Harry nodded.

"I have to go to Whitehall. There is no way I am pulling Ros out of this op. Towers will have to put up with just me." Ruth nodded. She knew there was no way they could back out now. Sayeed may only have been a teenager but if he was right, if there was a bomb threat to the centre of the city just when the schools broke up for the holidays there was no idea how much damage could be done.

"Ok."

"Get everyone back here. I have to go to Whitehall with something a bit more substantial than a teenager worried about his girlfriend's racist dad and Beth's asertion that the French teacher is wierd and possibly fancies Ros." He smiled as she got to her feet.

"When?"

"As soon as possible. Then everyone can get home for the night. I imagine at least two of the team will have homework tonight." He smiled as Ruth rolled her eyes before heading back to her desk.

###############################

"Lee." Sayeed jogged towards Lucas as he stopped and rested his hands on the stone wall overlooking the Thames.

"Hayley ok?"

"Yeah." Sayeed stated as he caught his breath.

"Please tell me you don't smoke. There is no way a kid like you should be that out of breath from just running along this road."

"You are a hard man to locate." The teenager smirked as Lucas raised an eyebrow.

"You wanted to talk." Lucas shoved his hands back in his pockets and made his way towards the small newspaper kiosk that was getting ready to close.

"Yeah." Sayeed closed his eyes and started jogging after him. "Hayles is really worried that her dad is going to do something at this PTA thing. He has money, connections. You know what I'm sayin'?"

"So? There are plenty of parents whose kids go to that school who are loaded. Why should Hayley's dad be any different? Sayeed, I am going to my boss with this. You know that. But you know I need concrete information. I can't just keep going on what you say."

"Because I'm a kid."

"Because you have given me no concrete evidence. We know Damion is a neo nazi in the making but he hasn't actually done anything yet. I need to know what he has planned. And I need to know when."

Sayeed nodded in understanding as he dug in his pocket. Lucas paid the newspaper man as he picked up his evening paper and chocolate bar. Glad for once that Ros wasn't there to berate him for his sweet tooth. Eight years was a long time to go without chocolate so he figured he was making up for lost time.

"What about this?" Sayeed handed him a memory stick.

"What's this?"

"I dunno what's on it. Last night Hayley calls me yeah? Crying her heart out, she was."

"She ok?"

"Yeah man." Sayeed smiled. "Her dad wants her to go on this ski trip to France with the school. She thinks its to get her out of the way. So when he was in bed she goes downstairs and downloads all this stuff on the computer. Calls me yeah? Says its getting scary. Late night phone calls with some bloke she aint never heard of before. Encrypted stuff on her dad's computer. She had a laptop for her birthday yeah? Up until then she was allowed to use her dad's PC. Now he aint letting her touch it."

"So he doesn't know she gave this to you?"

"Nah man." Sayeed shook his head. "He don't even know I exist. Hayles text me so I call her back and then she tells me to meet her in the park on the way to school this morning. So she gave me this. Now I gave it to you."

"Right." Lucas looked at the small device in his hand. "And?"

"I just don't like seeing my girl scared. You can appreciate that man. You got a lady, I noticed the wedding ring."

"Yeah, I understand." Lucas smiled slightly. He knew how the young boy felt. He hated thinking of Ros in the field without him but then he knew that was part of the job, however much he disliked it.

"You have to stop it. Yeah? Dad says he knows what you do. He says he knows people that do what you do and that I can trust you."

"You can." Lucas looked up as the hairs on the back of his neck began to stand up. He had to get himself and Sayeed away from the water front. "This attack?"

"I don't know details but I know he has the money and the people to do what he wants. Its all on there. Hayley risked her life for this." Sayeed looked away as Lucas carefully looked around. The red dot on Sayeed's denim jacket spurred him in to action. Before the teenager could answer Lucas pushed him towards the shop doorway as the teenager looked around.

"What?"

"Come with me." Lucas ushered him out the back of the shop while trying to see if they were being persued. Seething quietly he just hoped that he could keep his promise to the boy.

"Where?"

"I'll take you back to the Grid. No one can touch you there." Lucas explained as he pulled the boy closer, hoping that the gunman wouldn't risk shooting a moving target as they ran to the car.

###################################

"Please Miss?" Beth rolled her eyes as she got to her feet.

"Yes Lucy."

"Is Mrs Northey really your sister?" Lucy asked as two teenage girls in hockey kit laughed. "You don't look like her."

"No we don't look alike." Beth smiled, wondering if her cover could be blown by a gang of thirteen year olds. "I'm younger for a start."

"Miss!"

"Well, I am." Beth watched as the teenagers laughed. "And I'm adopted. Rachel is my adopted sister. So, there you are. You have my life history now can we have some work done or is there anything else you want to ask me?"

"Yes Miss."

"Sally?" Beth sighed.

"Who was that bloke that met you in the grey car yesterday? He was hot!"

"Don't be cheeky." Beth laughed as she thought of Dimitri. "Yes he is isn't he? That is Darren, my fiance."

The teenagers began laughing as Beth rolled her eyes. She remembered what it was like to be a teenager and discover that adults actually had lives of their own. "Right, that's it. Come on!" Beth yelled, hoping that Ros was having more luck with her class.

###############################

Ros stood by the desk in front of fifteen sixteen year old girls waiting for the class to fall silent. She began wondering when it had seemed a good idea to go undercover as an English teacher. Sighing heavily she glared at the roudy young women to fall silent. The pretty brunette at the back of the class seemed to be the only one with any interest in being there.

"Merchant of Venice." Ros barked. "Shylock's speech to Antonio. Who can explain what it means? What was Shylock trying to convey and how does this relate to stereotypes we see today?" She couldn't help but smirk as the teenagers fell into a horrified silence. Ruth hacking into the school's exam board and curriculum had been more help than she had ever hoped. The next thirty minutes passed in silence until the bell signalled the end of the lesson. As the girls left Ros got to her feet.

"Hayley. A word please." Her tone made it clear there was no room to argue. The teenager rolled her eyes at her friend before turning back to Ros.

"Yes Miss."

"Close the door, I don't think you want the other girls to know how badly you are failling A level English." Hayley's eyes widened as she closed the door. Once Ros was satisfied they were alone she stepped closer to the girl.

"Sayeed sent me."

"Oh my God."

"Exactly, so I think we need a little chat about why that happened." Ros folded her arms as the teenagers eyes filled with tears.

"My Dad will kill me."

"No he wont."

"You don't know my Dad. If he finds out I'm dating an asian guy and that we reported him to the secret services."

"Security Services. Secret Service is America." Ros smiled slightly.

"Oh right. Sorry."

"Hayley. Your Dad is not going to kill you or your boyfriend. I promise you but I need to know what he is up to."

"My Dad is evil."

"Hayley."

"I think he killed my mum and I gave Sayeed a memory stick to give to you people." She slumped against the chair while Ros watched. "He is always saying that the UK is too multi cultural. That it's wrong. But it isn't. I try to tell him that but he wont listen. He has these friends. Some in Parliament that can help him but they wont because they like their jobs. Racists in government is never going to get votes."

"True." Ros waited.

"I need to know Sayeed is safe."

"He is."

"Promise me."

"Hayley. I promise you. Now help me."

"He's collecting money and he's buying stuff, people to help him. A bomb is going to go off on Monday. When the kids are off school."

"When you are supposed to be in France."

"I aint going Miss."

"Ok." Ros held her gaze. "Where is the bomb?"

"I think its chemical. I dunno but I over hear things, I read stuff he doesnt know I know about. Oh God. I think my Dad is a terrorist."

"He's been known to take part in legitimate arms deals."

"Yeah." Hayley nodded. "He was an arms dealer. That's how he can afford to send me to this dump." Ros raised an eyebrow. "Anyway, Miss. I think he is going to blow up the fair by London Bridge. Near the political thing thats happening." Ros closed her eyes and fought the urge to swear. The political thing she had referred to had been on the television news for the last few weeks. The trade conference was being used to showcase a more positive side to the City after the riots the year before. Ahead of the Olympics it was the most prestigious internatonal event to take place between the UK and other Commonwealth countries. She had lost count of the amount of meetings Harry and her had been forced to argue through while it was being organised.

"Are you sure?"

"No." Hayley snapped. "No I am not sure. I'm scared shitless here. My Dad is planning to blow up some big trade thingy with people there from every ethnic origin on the planet. He is going to rot in prison or worse for this but he can't see how stupid he is being." She wiped angrily at her tears as Ros nodded. She knew a bit about power hungry and volitile parents. She held Hayley's gaze.

"Thanks." She watched as the teenager nodded. "Now, go to next lesson as if nothing happened. If Mr Morris asks why you were late tell him I held you back and that if he has a problem to see me in the staff room later. Carry on as normal. Sayeed will be safe and that bomb is not going to happen."

"Yes Miss."

"Oh and Hayley."

"Yes Miss." Hayley turned back to look at her.

"I think we both know I'm not a teacher. Blow my cover and you will be sorry." Ros smiled sweetly. Hayley swallowed hard.

"Yes Mrs Northey."

"Good girl." Ros watched as the door closed. She had a feeling the parent/teacher night was not going to be the same as the ones she remembered from her times in sixth form.

###################################

A/N I am really not sure I like this story. More Catherine/Calum? We may actually see Zoe again next chapter too and what have Dimitri and Zaf found. Is Ruth really ok or is there something everyone is missing? Please review.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer not mine**

**Parent's Night.**

Beth smiled slightly as she walked back into the school. The hall was buzzing with activity as parents, teachers and school governers milled around the room. She glanced at the three adults in the corner, relieved that Ros was talking to the French teacher. Mr Pasquale gave her the creeps.

"Beth?" She smiled slightly as she walked towards the window, aware that Adam and Zaf were outside in the obbo van with Malcolm, listening to everything that was being said. She tapped her earring to confirm that she could hear the guys outside. For a moment she wondered where Tariq and the others were. Shaking her head she crossed the room to where Ros was talking to the headmaster as the french teacher skulked away. The sound of Zaf laughing in her ear sugested Ros had sent him away with more than just a flea in his ear.

##########################

"Ruth." Lucas jogged down the steps of the Grid towards Ruth.

"Hi." She nodded towards where Sayeed was sleeping with his head rested on Beth's desk. "I called his father, explained that he was with us tonight. I've called Catherine. She's at home with Nick so he can come home with us tonight. He'll be safe. I've asked for a car to watch his parent's house overnight, just in case."

"Thank you." He slumped in his chair as the teenager stirred slightly.

"Ros called in twenty minutes ago. Her and Beth are fine."

"Yeah" He smiled. "Honestly Ruth, I'll be glad when this is all over. It should be a straight forward case. We find the bad guys, we stop the bad guys." He glanced at Sayeed. "The kid is exhausted."

"I know the feeling." Ruth sighed.

"Where's Harry?"

"JIC called him in. Emergency meeting. Something about the Olympic Commitee having a dippy fit over security."

"I can't wait for those games to be over." Calum announced as he tapped a few keys on the computer. Ruth nodded absentmindedly. She was beginning to get fed up of hearing about the Olympics and the problems the various delegations saw in the UK security. She closed her eyes for a moment as Zaf's voice could be heard over the comms.

"Erin and Dimitri have turned up."

"Good. They've been tailing Damion so he should be there somewhere." Calum stated as Ruth turned her attention away from the teenager and focused on what was going on at the school.

#######################

"Ah Liz." The headmaster smiled as Beth approached him and Ros. "Your sister was just telling me about your fiance, Darren. I thought you might bring him along tonight."

"Was she?" Beth glanced at Ros. "Rachel tends to go on a bit. We've only been engaged five minutes."

"Really?" The headmaster raised an eyebrow.

"Who's this?" Beth nodded at the tall blonde man in the corner. She knew exactly who he was but wanted confirmation. Ros narrowed her eyes.

"Oh sorry." Ros lied. "This is Damion Lloyd. His daughter is in my year 12 class. She's one of the few that actually seems interested in literature."

"Glad to hear my money isn't completely wasted." He ran his eyes over Beth as she fought the urge to be sick.

"Hayley's father." Beth nodded. "Pleased to meet you."

"You too. Miss?"

"Liz." Beth held out her hand.

"Liz." He confirmed as he shook it. Ros stepped back knowing that Beth had more chance of getting information out of the odious little man than she did. The headmaster continued his story of how Damion and a couple of the other parents had ploughed money into what was once a school onthe verge of going bankrupt. She nodded in the right places but it was what wasn't being said that was worrying Ros. Beth nodded towards the table at the far end of the hall that held more drinks than the local pub could manage.

############################

"Be careful." Malcolm spoke calmly as Dimitri joined him in the obbo van. "I have very little feed from the transmitter Beth is wearing."

"What about Ros?" Adam asked as he ran a hand over his face. This was the part of the operation he hated. Waiting around was not what Adam Carter did best.

"She's with the headmaster. I can hear him and her clearly. We should get a good bit of information from that recording. I may be able to flatten out the sound from the other bugs and decipher something of what is being said. Ros is wearing one of Tariq's prototypes but Beth has the traditional digital bug."

"At least Tariq will be happy." Adam smiled as he thought of the resident gadget geek. He was just like a younger version of Colin. It was easy to see how he and Malcolm worked so well together.

"Ok, here we go. Beth seems to be ready to leave." Tariq stated as he ignored Adam. "Damion is asking for her phone number."

"Cheeky git." Dimitri mumbled. "He knows she's engaged. I thought Ros was going to act as the honey trap."

"Do not let Lucas hear you say that." Adam's voice dropped as he listened to the conversation his friend and the headmaster were having. Ros seemed on the verge of exploding, although if she was with someone who didn't know her there was no way they could realise that. "This idiot seems to prefer younger women."

"What are you doing?" Zaf turned to Adam as he pulled his mobile out of his pocket.

"Getting Ros out of there before she gets into trouble. We have to get Beth away from Damion." He pressed speed dial. "Beth hasn't done an active under cover case since she came back."

"She can do this, Adam."

"Dimitri, I am warning Ros. If she thinks Beth needs pulling out it is her call because looking at that computer screen and with no real audio on what is happening with Beth we have no way of knowing if she is safe." Adam waited for the call to connect as Dimitri closed his eyes. He knew Adam was right.

##########################

Ruth glanced across at the teenager as the Grid began to empty for the night. Erin walked into the Grid and raised an eyebrow as Ruth raised a finger to her lips. Sayeed remained asleep.

"Since when were we a creche?" Erin asked as she sat in Zaf's chair.

"Since someone tried to kill him and Lucas." Harry announced as he walked in behind her. "I thought you were with Dimitri."

"Watching and waiting is not exactly my strong point." Erin turned to look at him as Ruth smiled.

"No, indeed. So what have you been doing?"

"I spoke to the police officers that arrested Damion a few years back. Apparently he was arrested but never charged over an assault on a man in 2009. Apparently he threatened to shoot a man by the name of Yusef Hussein Kahn." Erin watched as Calum frowned. Seconds later he had the police report on the screen in front of him.

"Case dropped due to lack of evidence." He shook his head. "Ok, but how do you go from extremely wealthy racist thug to extremely wealthy racist terrorist?"

"Have you noticed none of the girls at the school are non white? There are no ethnic minorities studying there." Ruth rested her hands in the desk as she spoke. "I went to boarding school and even in the 1980s there was a good mix of kids being taught in the public sector."

"Even in those days." Harry teased as she rolled her eyes. He hated to think he was serving in Northen Ireland while she took her A levels. It was comments like that that just served to reinforce the age gap he knew didn't matter to her.

"Yes." Ruth smiled. Erin and Lucas shook their heads slightly as Dimitri could be heard yelling over the comms that he was going to kill the idiot who had his hands on his fiance. Harry smirked.

"Distraction, the oldest get out in the book. Now Damion knows Beth is out of bounds and we get to pick up some information we wouldn't otherwise get." Harry leant against Ruth's desk.

"Such as?" Calum asked.

"Such as." Erin smiled. "How far the teachers would go to protect their biggest investor and how much of a temper Damion has. It also gets Beth and Ros out of there for the evening before things get too heated."

"Oldest group trick in the book. We now know Damion is as dangerous as his reputation but we found this out without any of our team getting hurt. Now, home. I am sure you all have better places to be." He watched as Calum and Lucas got to their feet. The new boy wandered over to Sayeed who finally stirred.

"You'll be ok with those two." He nodded as Sayeed yawned. Lucas frowned.

"No. I don't feel right about sending him home with you. No offence Harry but Saye knows me and Amy and James are with Carrie tonight. Keep the car watching his parents but we'll go to a safe house."

"Lucas." Ruth got to her feet as the room spun around her.

"Ok." Harry nodded. "The safehouse in Bow is the best bet. Have Alec go with you. I'd rather you have back up." Sayeed blinked away sleep as Ruth gripped the desk.

"Ok, right come on you." Lucas lead Sayeed out of the Grid as Harry and Ruth were left alone. Harry turned to face her.

"Ruth, he will be ok with Lucas."

"I know." She smiled weakly.

"It's you I'm worried about." He watched as she raised an eyebrow. "I've seen this before. I don't think I want to go through it again, even though last time it wasn't me personally." He knew he was rambling. Ruth stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, her head rested on his chest. Harry sighed as he held her, kissing her hair as she sighed.

"I'm fine."

"See Mike, or the midwife for me. Please."

"Harry."

"Look, before Catherine was born I watched a friend loose his wife and newborn son because of pre eclampsia. I don't want that to happen to me. If I lost you. Either of you." He closed his eyes, glad that the Grid was empty.

"Who?"

"Catherine is named after Malcolm's first wife. I thought you knew."

"I didn't." She pulled back. "When I was in Berlin he was married to a woman he met from GCHQ. She was a lovely woman, tiny. No more than 5 foot tall. Your typical bookworm. Him and Cathy as everyone knew her were great together. I got back from Berlin in time to attend her funeral. I was supposed to be Matthew's godfather. Instead I was helping Malcolm arrange their funerals." He shook his head. "She had pre eclampsia, her blood pressure was too high. Sadly the baby was too premature to survive when he was delivered. A caeasrian. Cathy haemoragged on the operating table and died in ITU three days later. It was 1983 and I know things are different now but please Ruth."

"I'll go." Ruth touched his cheek as a tear escaped his eye. "I'm not leaving you. That isn't going to happen to us. Does Sarah know? About Cathy and Matthew?"

"Yes." Harry sighed. "It almost killed Malcolm, when he met Sarah it was the first time in years I had seen him truely happy again. Ruth, I can't loose you."

"Then don't." She smiled. "I'm going to call Mike, see if he can see me before we go home. Is that ok? I still think it's probably eyestrain and stress but I'll see him tonight." Ruth smiled as Harry closed his eyes in relief.

"Thank you." He took her hand and kissed the knuckles as the sounds of officers returning to the grid broke the moment once more.

############################

A/N Just a filler chapter more soon x


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer not mine**

**A Long Night.**

Ros smiled slightly as she brushed Amy's hair from her eyes as the toddler slept. She was relieved to be away from the school for a few hours and even more relieved that Lucas had been in touch. He, Alec and Sayeed were holed up in the safe house on the other side of the city. She closed her eyes as she thought of her husband and hoped their wasn't going to be a repeat of what happened the last time they had used a teenage informant. She could still picture the horror in Lucas' eyes as the boy had been shot dead while they tried to escape the train station. Shaking her head she left the little girl to sleep as James began crying in his cot.

##################

Harry leant against the doorframe as he watched his wife finally sleeping. He had been terrified when he had left her with Mike a few hours earlier. Shaking his head sadly he walked back down the stairs towards the kitchen. He didn't want to wake her but he needed to check on the Grid. He just hoped nothing had happened once he had taken Ruth to med bay.

"Dad?" Harry started slightly as he heard Catherine say his name.

"Hello. You should be in bed."

"I could say the same to you. Dad, you look exhausted."

"I'm fine." He kissed her hair as he walked towards the kettle. "Why are you awake?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh? Sounds ominous."

"Ruth isn't well. Is she?" Catherine stated calmly as Harry sat at the kitchen table opposite her.

"No." He saw no point in lying. "Catherine, we saw the doctor tonight. Mike Bartlett. You met him once?"

"Yeah, he seems nice." She smiled as she sipped her tea.

"He's a good man." Harry confirmed. "It seems Ruth has the early stages of pre-eclampsia. She has to watch her blood pressure and rest."

"Oh Ruth is going to love that." Catherine smirked as Harry closed his eyes. He knew just how insane Ruth was going to get if she was made to rest. Being idle was not something she was very good at.

"I know."

"I read about it when I was having Charlie. It can be serious. Really serious, if her blood pressure gets really high and she has a fit." She left the sentance unfinished as Harry nodded.

"We know. Mike explained everything. He is going to see her again in two days time. If her blood pressure is up too much he is going to insist she is admitted to Guys for some bed rest."

"That may be a good idea. I had a chat with Gray and Nick. We're here if you need us Dad. The boys know they have to pull their weight a bit. Neither of them are as daft as they look." She smiled as she thought of her brothers. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"That wouldn't be possible." He watched as she smiled slightly. "Look, you wanted to talk to me about something else? I know you Missy."

"I met someone."

"Callum Reed?"

"Dad!"

"I'm a spook, your father and his boss. I'm not blind." He paused. "Anyway Ruth said she thought something was going on."

"Ah." Catherine blushed. "Nothing has happened. He is just... I like him. That's all. I really like him. I know he's a bit older than me but you are older than Ruth. He looked after me and Charlie at Christmas. When we thought you were, you know."

"When you all thought it was me that had fallen off the roof?"

"Yeah."

"He is a good man. He would not be on my team if he was anything other than that. Catherine, he is a spook. Like me. Do you really want that for yourself? For Charlie? You remember the childhood I gave you. Absent when it really mattered. You lost count of all the birthdays and school plays I missed. How many Christmasses I wasn't there for. It's a miracle you and Graham ever even look at me."

"You were a good dad." Catherine smiled. "I remember what things were like with you and mum, even if Gray was too young. I remember her temper and the way you argued. Ok, you weren't there all the time but we knew you loved us both."

"I did. I do. You know Nick and the new baby."

"Are not replacing us. And I always wanted a baby sister. " She smiled. "I am happy Dad, and if Calum asks me to go out with him then I am going to say yes. You said that I can't want the life you gave mum and you are right but I am not my mother."

"Thank God."

"Dad."

"Sorry."

"And I know what I am getting into. I haven't exactly led a quiet life for the last twenty five years. War zones, bomb blasts, blood transfusions and drug addiction. Never mind an illigitimate child. Not the life you thought your little girl would lead. Not when I was the sensible one."

"Cath."

"No Dad. It's true. I'm no angel." She sighed. "But I do have my eyes wide open this time. This isn't like with Charlie's father. I'm clean and sober and I have a baby that needs me. This is real, whatever the hell it is." She got to her feet as Harry nodded.

"Ok. I wont have him transferred to Syria." He watched as Catherine raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but smirk.

"I'm going to bed." She pushed her chair away from the table as Harry shook his head, not quite sure when his oldest child had become so mature.

#######################################

"Don't ever do that again." Beth unclipped her earrings and threw them in her bag as Dimitri raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Act like I need rescuing. I could have got rid of that old perv if I needed too." She stormed past him into their bedroom as he closed his eyes. He couldn't believe she was angry with him for punching the man they had been watching for weeks. "You could have blown my cover and you certainly can't go anywhere near the school now."

"Beth."

"No." She kicked her shoes off as he came to stand in front of her. "Any intel Ros and I got tonight may as well be useless if we can't slip back into the school unheeded. The first rule of undercover, the FIRST."

"Hide in plain sight." He rested his hand on her shoulders as she tried not to look at his chest. He knew he was in trouble. Beth's temper made Harry's look tame.

"Ros trusted me with this case, she didn't have to."

"I know."

"So why?"

"Adam was worried."

"Adam bloody Carter." She shook her head.

"Yeah. Malcolm and Tariq could barely pick up a feed from your bug. There was too much interferance which Tariq said suggested that they knew you were bugged."

"Ros was wearing one too."

"Higher resolution apparently, can not be detected by the same equipment your bug can." He met her eyes and she couldn't break her gaze. "He's dangerous."

"Yeah."

"Beth, if he had taken you out of that school hall there is no saying what may have happened. You know getting seperated from Ros was risky."

"The job is risky. If you can't handle me doing my job then what future is there for us?" Beth blinked as she realised what she was saying. Dimitri stared at her as if he had been slapped.

"I."

"Dimitri." She stared at his chest as fell silent. _I'm breaking up with him? Am I insane? Erin was right all along, he loves me but I am pushing him away. _She bit her lip as Dimitri shook his head.

"No." He paused. "No, this conversation can't be happening. Not with us."

"I don't want to give up my job." Beth sighed. "I fought too hard to get it and then get back to it."

"Yeah." He stepped forward again. "And no one is more proud of you than I am. Beth, please."

"We can make this work? Is that what you think? I have brain damage, some days I can barely put a sentance together and the one time I've given the oppportunity to do my job you panic. How can that work?"

"I was making a scene on purpose. Zaf and Adam knew I'd been seen outside the school. Ros had mentioned you had a fiance so when the comms went pear shaped it seemed the easiest way to see how Damion would react to a sudden change in situation and get you and Ros out of a potentially sticky situation. And yeah, I know you are brain damaged. There is no one who blames me for that more than I do. They are right to keep pairing you with the others. I got you injured before."

"No you didn't. Andrew Lawerence did this." She pointed to her head where the small scar could still be seen below her hairline. "I don't want to break up." She sighed quietly as Dimitri smiled.

"No? Good. Neither do I."

"Then why?" Beth didn't get to finish her question as Dimitri's lips covered hers.

#################################

Erin stood in the doorway of Rosie's bedroom as the little girl slept. She was happy to be home for once. The operation at the school worried her, it was a little too close to where she lived for comfort. Sighing slightly she was glad her mum was also sound asleep. It was going to be a long night.

###################################

"So, everyone is ok?" Zoe asked as she fed the baby. Zaf yawned as he nodded.

"Beth was pretty fed up but she'll live."

"This Damion, are you sure he is working alone? All I am saying is think about it. An expensive private school, all the students are from wealthy middle class families. None of the kids are from any ethnic backgrounds. No Asian, Jewish or any other group represented there. Since when?"

"What do you mean?" Zaf took Danny from her as she crossed her legs on their bed.

"I did some digging. Emma was at school and Danny was asleep so." She shrugged her shoulders. "Damion Lloyd became school governer in 2009. In those days over a third of the school were girls from all ethnic backgrounds. Why change that? How does that happen in just a couple of years?"

"Good point." He smiled at his son as the little boy looked up at him with chocolate brown eyes. "Where does the money come from? Remember what Tariq is always saying?"

"Follow the money." She smiled as the baby fell asleep. Zaf nodded.

"I'll talk to Harry in the morning. We know whatever is planned is going to happen on Friday morning, probably after the school fete."

"Sick." Zoe sighed. "It's just twisted."

"Yeah." Zaf glanced up at her as Emma appeared in the doorway holding her teddy. The little girl looked on the verge of tears until her mum tapped the bed next to her. Zaf shook his head slightly as the baby fell asleep.

#############################################

"Ruth?" Harry slipped into bed next to her as she shifted slightly. He smiled as he realised she had moved towards him despite still being asleep. Kissing her hair he rested a hand on her now visible baby bump.

"Go tsleep." She slurred as he wrapped his arms around her.

"You were right about Catherine and Calum."

"Mmm." She refused to open her eyes as he kissed her hair again. "Harry?"

"Yes." He began drawing imaginary circles on her bare arm.

"We're ok."

"Yes."

"Good." She moved her head slightly and kissed his chest as he let his eyes fall closed. He held her to him as her breathing began to settle. He could only hope he was right, that things would work out for them in the end.

#############################

"How long have you been married?" Sayeed asked as Alec stared out of the window. A car was watching the front of the building as Ruth had told them there would be. It didn't mean he liked it.

"Almost two years." Lucas answered. He was desperate to talk to Ros but knew there was no way he would be able to until the morning at the earliest.

"Cool."

"She is. "Lucas smiled. "You'd like her."

"Or be terrified of her." Alec deadpanned. "Most men are."

"Really?" Sayeed smirked. "Why are we hiding anyway?"

"Beause son." Alec crossed the room and grabbed a wooden chair to sit on. "We have to stay in this shit hole until our friends work out who is trying to kill you and my mate 'ere."

"Alec." Lucas warned as he crossed to the closed door, aware that the thin wood was going to be very little match for any intruder.

"He knows. He does, doesn't he? Hayley's dad. He know's I talked to you people. Hayley's in danger now too. He'll kill her. YOU KNOW THAT!" He flew at Lucas as the older man grabbed him. Lucas narrowed his eyes as he pulled out his cell phone before stepping away from the hysterical teenager. He closed his eyes as he listened to Adam and Erin explain what had happened back at the school and since. Sayeed continued to rant and rave in the background until Alec threatened him.

"She isn't dead." Lucas turned to face him. "She's very much alive."

"What? What the 'ell you on about."

"Hayley Lloyd is alive and well and in protective custody the same as you." Lucas held his gaze. "Damion Lloyd is not going to be causing you any more problems."

"Eh?" Alec let the boy go as Lucas sat down.

"Someone killed him. His body was fished out of the Thames Estuary about ten minutes ago. Erin and Adam are on scene."

"What about the school?"

"I know Dim hit him but he didn't put a bullet through his head." Lucas stated. "It seems someone wanted him kept quiet. Now, Saye if there is anything you are not telling us, now is the time to start talking." Lucas stared at the boy as Sayeed nodded slowly. He had a feeling it was going to be a very long night.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer not mine**

**Repercussions.**

Harry marched on to the Grid as Erin and Calum exchanged glances. Both had been there since the early hours but knew Harry had probably been awake most of the night. Calum nodded towards the office as Adam and Malcolm walked out of the kitchenette carrying steaming mugs of coffee.

"Make sure you all eat something. None of you are any good to the team if your blood sugar levels are all over the place. Especially you Tariq."

"I'm fine." The junior technical officer smiled. "BM normal, insulin done and I've eaten. Some of us know how to take care of ourselves." His eyes never left the screen. "Which leads me to ask, where's Ruth?"

"Working from home." Dimitri stated as he jogged into the Grid. "Beth called her before she left for school."

"Right." Erin looked around the half empty Grid. There was no sign of half the team. She shook her head slightly as she realised with Zoe on maternity leave, Ruth working from home and Ros and Beth undercover at the school for at least another two days she was the only female presence on the Grid. She remembered Tariq telling her that Ruth was the only woman there for a long time while Ros recovered from the bomb blast that had almost killed her. She had no idea how the quieter woman had coped with all the testosterone. She didn't know how she was going to. Before Dimitri or the others could say anything else Harry marched out of the office towards them.

"Damion Lloyd was found dead less than twelve hours ago." He stated as Adam sipped his coffee. "Five hours after you punched him." He stared at Dimitri who had the good grace to look at the floor.

"I didn't kill him."

"No." Harry watched as the younger man closed his eyes.

"Have the clowns given us a cause of death yet?" Calum smirked as Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Not officially." Erin answered. "But.."

"But I had a look in the database. Isn't just Ruth that can have a little look in these places." Tariq smirked as all eyes fell on him. "Dim is right, he didn't kill him. Seems the racist old idiot was murdered but not by a single punch that couldn't have knocked a fly over."

"Thanks." Dimitri raised an eyebrow.

"So what did kill him?" Harry watched as Tariq seemed to be relishing the fact he had information that none of the others did.

"Well, it isn't official yet but I reckon a single stab wound to the abdomen may have been something to do with it." He smirked as Harry rolled his eyes.

"Thank you Tariq." He watched as Calum pulled a face. Malcolm placed his mug on the desk in front of him.

"Question is now." Malcolm sighed as Adam and Erin glanced at each other. "Is who is the killer and why?"

"That is for the clowns to work out. Ros and Beth?"

"Beth left about forty minutes ago from the safehouse flat." Dimitri watched as his boss nodded slightly.

"Lucas and Alec? The boy?"

"They know Damion is dead." Erin stated. "Adam called them as soon as the news came through. Lucas didn't seem to think Sayeed knew anything about it. Zaf is with Hayley at the safe house."

"Right." Harry pinched his nose as he tried to think. The case should have been straightforward but was beginning to become more and more complicated as time went by.

"Harry?" Adam turned to face him. "Ros and Beth are still at the school. We know that Damion was recruiting there and using the PTA to do it. What we don't know it why or when they are going to try to pull off this attack."

"I am aware of that." Harry snapped as the phone in his office sprang to life.

########################

Zaf stared at the young woman in the corner, relieved that she had finally stopped crying. He had no idea what it was like to lose a parent at such a young age and hated to think of Emma or Danny in the same position.

"Hayley." He sat next to her. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"Why should I? You said yourself, you are not the police." He smiled at her cut glass accent. It reminded him of Zoe when she was annoyed with him.

"Because someone killed your father and that person may be about to commit a terrorist attack that your father had been helping to plan."

"You people."

"My people want to stop anyone else from dying." Zaf stared at her, aware of how much younger she was. The girl was barely sixteen. A child that had been thrown into an adult world of pain and fear.

"Oh so I want people to get killed I suppose?" She huffed as Zaf took a deep breath.

"No." He smiled slightly. "No, I don't think you do. I think you and Sayeed want this to be stopped. If you tell me what happened last night I think my people as you call them will be able to stop it. You have to help us." He held out a hand as Hayley buried her face in her hands.

"Is Saye ok?"

"Yes. I promise you Sayeed is fine."

"Ok." Hayley stiffled a sob. "Ok, there's this man my dad knows. Knew." She sniffed. "He's properly rich, not like Dad. Properly rich as in could buy the UK if he wanted and still have change for a can of pop."

"Right." Zaf smiled. "I need a name."

"I dunno. I think it'd be in his briefcase. It's at home in the study. Oh shit this shouldn't be happening. I should be in English now. I had to hand in my homework. We've got a new teacher. But I suppose she's one of yours isn't she?"

"Yes." Zaf saw no point in lying.

"She said as much. Did she kill Dad?"

"No." Zaf held her gaze. The teenager swallowed before looking away and rubbing her sleeve across her face.

"Have you got kids?"

"Yes." Zaf smiled. "That's another reason I want this stopped. I don't want them growing up in a city with everyone scared to look over their shoulder."

"Good. Are they the same colour as you?"

"That has nothing to do with it." Zaf narrowed his eyes. He had known her father was a racist but had assumed Hayley was more intelligent.

"No, it doesn't. Not in the real world. Me and Sayeed want kids. When I'm finished at Uni. Not now." She smiled. "My Dad would have had us both killed because he's Asian. Is your wife asian like you?"

"No." Zaf smiled slightly, "She isn't. My kids are mixed race. Like any you and Sayeed would have. And until you just mentioned it, it never crossed my mind. I am too. It isn't unheard of."

Hayley smiled as she considered his words. For a moment he found it difficult to believe the girl was actually sixteen. She seemed so much younger.

"If I tell you everything. And I mean everything that I know can I see Sayeed?"

"Yeah." Zaf smiled. "I think that can be arranged."

###################################

Ruth picked Muggles up from the bed as she wandered into the living room. She knew Harry had told her to stay home and rest but there was no way her mind would stop going over the last few weeks. Ros and Beth were putting their lives on the line. A young man, a child she corrected herself was in hiding because someone had tried to shoot him. Now their main suspect was dead and his only child in a safe house with Zaf. She shook her head as the cat jumped from the sofa.

"I can still do some research and rest at the same time. Can't I Mugs? Fidget, Scarlet do not tell Nick or your Dad." She smiled as the little terrier tilted her head to the side before curling up in front of the fire. "Crazy old woman." She muttered to herself as the baby kicked. "And you can behave too young lady." She rested her hand on her baby bump before opening the laptop and starting work.

##############################

"Miss Northey." Beth froze as she heard the Head teacher call her name.

"Yes?" She smiled sweetly as she followed him along the corridor towards his office. Suddenly she was fourteen again and on the verge of being expelled. What she didn't expect to see was Ros stood in the doorway. The Section Chief was as inscrutable as ever.

"Hi Liz." Ros half smiled at her.

"Rach."

"You may have heard the news." The Headmaster sat at his desk as Ros stared at him. He cleared his throat and looked away as Beth smirked. Her boss had the same effect on most men.

"That Damion Lloyd is dead." Ros stated. "Yes, I found out when I got here this morning. I think Francios told me."

"Ah yes, our modern language department are always at the forefront of the gossip." He smirked.

"Dead?" Beth kept up the pretense as Ros cast an eye at her. "How?"

"Stabbed. His body was found during the night. Sometime after your fiance threw his weight around."

"Ah yes." Beth blushed as she looked away. "I have to appologise for Darren, he can be a bit overprotective."

"Indeed."

"What are you saying?" Ros narrowed her eyes slightly. Anyone who didn't know Ros would have no idea how close she was to loosing her cool. The Ice Queen was back in full force.

"That merely hours after an altercation in my school a man is dead."

Beth held his gaze. She knew the cause of death was nothing to do with Dimitri. A knife wound was far different to a punch on the nose. The middle aged man in front of her continued to unnerve her as he got to his feet.

"Miss Northey, I believe you have a class to teach."

"Yes." Beth got to her feet. "Year 9 are waiting for me."

"Don't let me delay you any further." He smiled as he ushered her out of his office. With one backward glance at Ros she was out the door. "Now, Rachel. I believe you and I need to have a little chat."

"Do we?" Ros knew when she was in trouble. The way the man was staring at her suggested he was more afraid of her than she was of him. She knew she could turn that to her advantage.

##########################################

Ruth curled up on the sofa and stared at the computer screen. What she was reading just didn't make sense. The supposed leader of Rising Sun had been murdered. She ran a hand through her brown hair as she debated calling the Grid. She knew no one else had seen the connection she saw. Sighing heavily, she knew Harry would be annoyed that she was working.

"Ok." She sighed as Fidget looked up. "Here goes." Seconds later she was repeating her secure code to the woman on the Thames House switchboard before being put through to Adam.

"Where's Harry?"

"Hi Ruth." Adam smiled as she spoke. "With Towers."

"Sorry, look have you spoken to Lucas or Alec today?" Ruth began pacing the room as the baby kicked.

"No." Adam's voice grew wary. He knew Ruth's tone of voice well enough to know when seh was deadly serious and extremely worried.

"I've done some research. I knew the name Rising Sun rang a bell. I just didn't know where from."

"Go on." Adam perched on the edge of his desk.

"When I was in Cyprus. When I first got there." She paused. "I met a woman called Sofia Encarnation. An ex nurse in a similar position to me. Hundreds of miles away from home with no family."

"Ruth."

"Sorry." Ruth paused. "She spoke about this group that would bring order to the world. Put things back the way they should have been. Return the status quo as she put it."

"Ruth."

"Anyway, I did some digging. She's here. In London. Arrived about three weeks ago under a different name. Seems she has been having an affair with Damion, while being married to the headmaster of a very prestigious all girls school. Am I ringing any bells?"

"Just a few." Adam closed his eyes. "You think she was pulling Damion's strings?"

"That school was a multiculteral school just three years ago. She married the headmaster in 2009 and started an affair sometime this winter. Adam, I'd put money on her being involved. I'd bet the house on it."

"I'd bet Harry would love to hear you say that."

"Adam, please. Just please listen to me. I spent time with this woman. She may have been an ex pat in Cyprus but she was extremely wealthy in those days and had some very influential men. Whereas I kept out of the limelight, she was begging for attention." Ruth closed her eyes as a sharp pain shot through her stomach. She hissed for a second before realising Adam could hear her.

"Ruth? Are you still there? Ruth?"

"I'm here." She sighed. "Find this woman and I think we may have our first decent lead in this case. I could come in."

"NO." Adam snapped as Ruth pulled her phone away from her ear. "You stay at home. It's more than my life is worth if Harry sees you on the Grid." He smiled slightly as he heard her huff on the other end of the line. "But we'll find this Sofia. Any luck with the memory stick?"

"Not yet, that's the next job." Ruth smiled as she looked at the device Erin had 'liberated' from her contact days earlier. Now Calum and Malcolm had decoded it she was finally able to analyse it's contents.

"Rest." Adam smiled as he pictured the look on her face. "Please."

"I am resting. Talk to you later." Ruth hung up the phone just as Adam noticed Harry walk back on the Grid.

"Mr Carter?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Got a lead. Erin? Come on." He was out the door before the new girl could argue.

#############

A/N I am still at the stage where this can be deleted and restarted. Please review.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer not mine**

**A Lead.**

Erin jogged after Adam as he almost ran along thr corridor towards the lift. She knew the blonde spook had been the Section Chief before Ros and she couldn't help but wonder how they had changed jobs without the slightest bit of resentment. He turned to face her as they waited for the lift to reach their floor. She couldn't help watch Adam as he punched the call button repeatedly.

"Adam."

"I had a call from Ruth."

"For an intelligent woman she has no idea what the word rest means." Erin smiled to herself. "When is she due to start maternity leave anyway?"

"If Harry had his way she'd have gone the moment they had a positive pregnancy test." Adam smiled as the lift finally opened to allow them in.

"He is a bit overprotective. Would drive me insane." Erin stepped into the lift as Adam raised an eyebrow.

"If you had held the love of your life in your arms as she bled to death, you'd be a bit overprotective." Adam snapped as Erin stared at him aghast.

"What?"

"Ruth was shot about eighteen months ago. A revenge attack. Almost died, then she had an ectopic pregnancy and almost died on the table." Adam sighed. "We nearly lost her more than once, you can see why Harry is the way he is."

"Yeah." Erin sighed. "I heard rumours about a shooting on the doorstep of Thames House."

"That was her. Samantha Caulfield shot her because Ros shot her sister. Thing is her sister was a terrorist." Adam shoved his hands in his pockets as the lift reached the ground floor. "Now Ruth has come up with a lead that may actually help stop whoever it was that was planning to blow London to Kingdom come."

"Right." Erin sighed as she followed Adam towards the main entrance of Thames House. She had no idea where he was going but she hoped he knew what he was doing.

###########################

Ruth closed her eyes as she felt the baby kick. She had been away from the Grid for less than twelve hours and was already missing the place. Sighing heavily she smiled as she felt Fidget jump on her lap.

"Ok, Fidge." She smiled as the cat made himself comfortable. "I just hope Adam is following up that information I found. I just have a bad feeling about it." Fidget raised his head and stared at her as Ruth opened her eyes. "I know, sad old cat lady."

###########################

Ros stared at the headmaster as she thought about her conversation with Hayley just a few days before. The teenager has been concerned that something would happen to her father, now it had Ros couldn't help but wonder whether the young girl had been right to be concerned.

"Rachel." The headmaster stepped closer to her as she narrowed her eyes. "Your english class has been going very well."

"Good." Ros felt sick as she smelled his aftershave. The pungent smell combined with his bodyodour made her feel sick. "I have year 10 waiting for me."

"No, I dont think you do."

"Mr Harrison." Ros narrowed her eyes as he smirked.

"I don't think you have a class for some considerable amount of time." Ros held his gaze as the world around her seemed to spin uncontrollably. Before she could say another word the grip he had on her hand became painful as the poison hit her system. She opened her mouth to argue as her knees collapsed underneath her and the world turned black.

##############################

"Are you sure you have told us everything?" Alec faced the teenager as Lucas looked out the window. His mobile phone weged to his ear as he waited for the call to connect.

"Yeah." Sayeed sighed. "Hayley got this memory stick. I gave it to Lucas the day that someone tried to shoot us. You know all this man."

Alec held his gaze as Lucas turned back to him. He felt sorry for the young man for a moment. Alec had always been an instinctive interrorgator. Very few people got anything past the former I A man. Alec looked towards Lucas as he let Sayeed off the hook for a moment.

"Ros missed her last call in."

"Not like her." Alec stepped towards him. "What did Ruth say?"

"I spoke to Callum. Ruth's not on the Grid today."

"Ok, Ruth has taken a day off. What parallel universe have we slipped into?" Alec lowered his voice as Lucas narrowed his eyes.

"Callum said it was something to do with the baby. No one has been arrested for Damion's murder but Ruth found a link between Rising Sun and a woman called Sofia. Apparently she is married to the headmaster at the school."

"Harrison." Alec almost spat the name.

"Sofia?" Sayeed looked up. "Is that what you just said?"

"What if it was?" Lucas turned back to him.

"There's this bird, about 40. Old anyway." Lucas and Alec exchanged glances. "Called Sofia Harrison. Works at Hayley's school."

"Oh yeah?" Alec sat back down as Lucas tried not to think about everything that could have gone wrong to cause Ros to miss her call in. Sayeed nodded.

"Yeah. She was at Hayley's house once. I was waiting across the road in the park and I saw her snogging Hayley's father. Grossed me out a bit."

Alec smirked slightly before turning back to his friend. Lucas looked paler than ever. Sighing heavily Alec got to his feet. He knew the connection between Ros and Lucas was almost psychic. If Lucas felt there was something wrong there was a very real chance he was right.

"Call her."

Lucas nodded before stepping out of the room leaving Alec and Sayeed alone.

###############################

Harry slammed the phone back down on the desk as he tried to make sense of the phone call her had just taken. Looking up he realised the Grid was half empty and Callum was stood in the doorway of his office.

"I."

"Out with it." Harry snapped as Callum ran a hand through his short hair.

"Beth called."

"And?"

"Ros is missing."

"Clarify that last statement." Harry snapped as he felt his blood run cold.

"She didn't make her last call in. Beth left her in the headteacher's office at 9 am this morning. Neither her nor the headmaster has been seen since." Callum watched as Harry visibly paled in front of her.

"And Beth?"

"On her way back to Thames House."

"Get Dimitri to collect her. Last thing we need is anyone else going AWOL." Harry began pacing his office as Callum nodded. "Contact Zaf and Lucas. Get them back here. Bring Sayeed and his girlfriend in."

"Yes Sir."

"What am I not being told?" He rounded on Callum as the younger man stared at his shoes.

"Adam and Erin are following a lead. Ruth remembered something from when she was away. A group that tried to recruit her. A woman."

"Ruth has been here?" Harry sighed heavily.

"No. She spoke to Adam about two hours ago. Gave him a name."

"A name?"

"Sofia Harrison, nee Encarnation. An ex pat she met on her travels. Seems she is married to the headmaster."

Harry closed his eyes. He knew Ruth wouldn't be able to keep away from the investigation. He could just picture her at home on the laptop. A sense of dread bagan to build in the pit of his stomach. The thought of Ruth at home alone working on sensitive information made him feel sick.

"Ruth never mentioned her." He paused. "I'll call her."

"Catherine is headed round to your place." Callum kicked himself as he spoke. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Since when were you ofay with my daughter's whereabouts?" Harry couldn't help but smirk as the younger man blushed furiously.

"She, er." Harry smiled at the younger man's discomfort as the phone on his desk began to ring once more. He picked up the phone as the younger man blushed a shade of red he didn't know the human body was capable of.

"Catherine?" Harry closed his eyes as he heard the panic in his daughter's voice. "Slow down." He paused for a moment.

"Callum, get a team to my house. It isn't just Ros that is missing. I want forensics over there."

"What?" Callum was immediately worried about Catherine and Charlie. Things were still very uncertain but he knew he liked the documentary maker.

"Ruth is missing. She's been abducted from our house."

"Shit." Callum backed out the office calling to Tariq and Malcolm as Harry grabbed his jacket and almost ran from the Grid.

#################################

A/N What has happened to Ros and Ruth? More soon.

.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer not mine**

**Fire **

The pitch dark was oppressive when Ros finally opened her eyes. She felt sick and disorientated as she tried to work out what had happened. _'Harrison. You dirty little.."_ It was then she realised she wasn't alone in the room, pushing herself into a sitting position.

"Ruth?"

###################

Harry threw his car into a space behind the little blue fiesta his daughter drove. The feeling of dread that had been building in the pit of his stomach continued to grow as Callum jumped out of the 4x4 and ran towards Catherine who was stood in the doorway.

"Where's Charlie?" Callum asked as Catherine turned to face him.

"Nursery until 4." She sighed as Scarlet cowered in the corner. "Fidget and Muggles are upstairs. Poor things wont come down. I can't get Scarlet to come out."

"What happened?" Harry stared at Catherine as she closed her eyes.

"I knew Ruth was home so I thought I'd call round before I went to collect Charlie. The dog was whining like she'd been kicked and the back door is smashed. Dad, Ruth's gone." The tears streamed down Catherine's face as Callum pulled her into his arms. Harry squeezed her shoulder before walking into his house where the SOCO team were cleaning up.

"Scarlet! Scarlet." He crouched down to the little terrier as she finally left her hiding place. He picked her up as the little terrier licked his face and neck. "It's ok girl. It's ok. We'll find her and Ros. We will." He hugged the little dog to her as he wondered how on earth he was going to tell Nick his mum was missing.

#########################

"Lizzy!" Dimitri pulled the car into the school car park as the blonde woman almost ran towards the car. Before he could say another word she was in the car next to him.

"Dimitri, does Lucas know? Harry?"

"Yeah. Zaf is taking Hayley to Thames House. Lucas and Alec are on the way back. Ros going AWOL is just the start. Seems Ruth has been abducted."

"Oh my God." Beth ran a hand through her hair as she listened. "What? When? Nick?"

"He was at school. Carrie is picking him up. A car is watching the house. Harry isn't taking any chances. He's already blaming himself."

"Harrison sent me out of the office. Ros seemed to know something was going to happen to her. I could see it in her eyes." Beth rested her head against the car window and closed her eyes. The bad feeling she had about the case resurfaced.

"Any ideas where he may have taken her? Would he be involved in Ruth going AWOL too?" Dimitri frowned as he negotiated the traffic.

"Yeah." Beth sighed as Dimitri swerved to avoid a cyclist. "Yeah, I reckon Harrison may be the rich man Hayley told Zaf about. Why he is running the school I have no idea."

"Perfect alibi. Respectable man with a respectable job. The last person anyone would asssume would be responsible for murder, terrorism and abduction." Dimitri frowned as the cyclist gave him the finger.

"Ruth is what?" She asked. "Six months along?"

"Five. I think. Oh God, if anything has happened to her or the baby it'll kill Harry." Dimitri sighed. "Shit, that's the point isn't it? Call Erin. Tell her that this is a distraction. Someone knew we were in the school. Someone knew we were after Damion and his croanies." Beth swore as she pressed the number on her phone that would connect her to Erin.

"We have a mole. On the Grid?"

"Spys spying on spys." Dimitri shook his head as he pulled into the lane that would lead them straight back to Thames House.

"Try saying that after a drink." Beth deadpanned as Erin answered the call.

######################

"Ruth?" Ros almost whispered as her head spun.

"Ros?"

"Ok, introductions over with." Ros got to her feet and immediately regretted it. "You ok?"

"I."

"Ruth, did they hurt you?"

"Not really. You?"

"I've been poisoned. I know that much. If they did that to you, with the baby." Ros kept her voice low as she moved closer to the analyst.

"No. I wasn't poisoned. The baby is moving."

"Right, come on then. Lets get out of here." Ros held out a hand as Ruth struggled to get to her feet. It was then Ros noticed the black eye and bruises on her arm. "You said they didn't hurt you."

"I am ok." Ruth tried to keep her voice steady as she rested one hand on her abdomen. "I wasn't going to just go with them was I? They knew taking us would throw the investigation out of sink. Harry and Lucas are not going to be focused on the case." Ruth rested her head back against the wall as Ros nodded.

"How would they know? I can't see we have a mole. Not Section D."

"Sayeed? Hayley?" Ruth sighed. "They're just kids. Easy to let something slip. This is another reason teenagers can't be used as informants."

"Kids are better at keeping secrets than most adults. We both know that." Ros rested both hands on the wall as she tried to fight the vertigo that was swamping her. There was no way she was going to tell Ruth she felt as though she was dying on her feet. There was no need to worry the intel analyst any more than she already was.

"True." Ruth sighed. "Right, how do we get out of this one?"

"You're the intelligent one. Analyse something." Ruth smiled as Ros rolled her eyes. Both fell silent as the door in the corner of the room began to creak open.

##################################

Tariq stared at the computer screen as the facial recognition programme continued to run. The photofit of Sofia Harrison was in one half of the screen as various images flashed on the screen next to him. He was barely aware of the others talking as he concentrated on what was on screen.

"Tariq." Adam rested a hand on his shoulder as the young man ignored him. "Take a break."

"No."

"Tariq, Harry is at the house. Lucas is talking with Malcolm. We are all worried. Take a break."

"Why? Not as if Ruth and Ros are able to take a break, whereever they are!" He shrugged Adam's hand off his shoulder as Adam stepped back. He barely registered Malcolm shake his head as he watched both young men.

"Briefing room? Might be an idea about now." Malcolm stated calmly as Harry appeared alongside Callum at the Pods. Erin nodded as she hung up the phone.

"We have a mole." Erin sighed as she caught Harry's eye. For a moment she was certain he was going to explode. Adam swore as Lucas closed his eyes.

"No." Malcolm stated calmly. "We do not have a mole!" He stormed off the Grid as Lucas and Harry followed him.

####################

Ros stood in front of Ruth as the door opened. She narrowed her eyes as she waited for whoever was at the door to appear. Ruth swore under her breath when she realised who it was.

"Hello Ruth. Rosalind." The woman smirked. "Didn't think you'd seen the last of me? Really? I should be offended."

"You bitch." Ruth glared as every maternal instinct she ever had told her to get as far away from this woman as Ros stepped towards her.

"Ah see. You do remember me."

"Tessa Philips." Ros narrowed her eyes as she spoke. "Thought you of all people had more class than this. You knocking off the headmaster? Or his wife? Jools here somewhere?"

"Jools is none of your concern." Tessa glared as Ros smirked. It was then Ros saw the gun in her hand.

"Bugger this for a game of soldiers." Ros was inches away from Tessa as Ruth stepped towards the pair. The gun in Tessa's hand her sole focus. Before Ros could say another word the sound of gunfire filled the air as a woman screamed.

################################

A/N More soon. Please review.


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer not mine.**

**Bugged?**

Harry stared at Malcolm as he walked around the men's bathroom flushing toilets and turning on the taps at each sink. Lucas swore under his breath as he realised what Malcolm was doing. Harry frowned as the last tap went on.

"There are no cameras in here." Malcolm stated calmly as he crouched beneath the sink nearest the door. "Something Tariq said made me think. Is Catherine alright?"

"Shook up. Calum is with her, they are collecting Nick and Charlie and go to Graham's until I call them." Harry stated. "What we are going to tell Nick I have no idea."

"Malcolm." Lucas leant against the bathroom door.

"Ah right, yes." He stood up slowly, leaning on the sink for support. He hated the way his back still ached months after he was in the car bomb that almost killed him and Adam. "You may be relieved to know we categorically do not have a mole."

"You're certain." Lucas answered as Harry raised an eyebrow.

"You think we do? Would you care to name names? Tariq? Erin? Zoe perhaps?"

Lucas closed his eyes as Harry shook his head and turned back to his friend.

"Go on Malcolm."

"We have been bugged." Malcolm watched as Lucas swore profusely. The mild mannered spook was obviously not coping with Ros' disappearance. Harry glanced at him as Lucas took the hint and fell quiet.

"Bugged." Harry shook his head. "Where and when? How long?"

"I cannot be certain at this stage. Tariq's workstation, my own and Calum's. Ruth's desk and Erin's were also compromised. I believe your office and the entrance to the Briefing Room were also affected. Tariq is investigation the duration now but he have to assume the entire Grid has been compromised."

Harry nodded as he ran a hand over his face. He was worried sick about Ruth and the baby and had a very strange feeling Ros was in more trouble than they could ever imagine. Lucas moved away from the door as Tariq pushed on it.

"I know who planted the bugs." Tariq was almost out of breath as he barged into the men's toilets.

"Go on." Harry barked.

"Denise Hughes."

"Who?" Lucas stared at the younger man.

"Six months ago the cleaning contract changed hands. Denise Hughes is one of the domestics. You stay later than anyone, you must have been here when she was."

"I think I would remember." Harry barked as Tariq pulled out a netbook and placed it next to the sink.

"Maybe." He nodded. "Recognise her?"

"No." Harry barked.

"I bet Hayley will." Tariq smiled as Lucas raised an eyebrow.

"Tariq, it would be a good time for you to elaborate."

"Denise Hughes, aged 39. University dropout, ex IV drug user, been inside more than once."

"She got a job here?" Lucas shook his head.

"No, the cleaning company she works for got the contract. She is the sister of the demon headmaster."

"She is Harrison's sister? She planted the bugs?"

"Zaf is asking Hayley about her now." Tariq stated as Harry nodded. He couldn't believe his team had taken what was a tenuous link from Ruth and ran with it. It was testiment to how much she was trusted.

"Find her." Harry barked as Lucas and Tariq almost sprinted from the room.

###########################################

Ros stepped back as the second gunshot reverberated off the wall. Tessa laughed as Ruth grabbed the gun. Ruth screamed as the smell of gunpower hit her nostils. Ros pushed her back as Tessa fell to her knees.

"What the Hell are you doing here?" Ros snarled as she finally got the gun from the older woman.

"Did you miss me?" Tessa laughed as Ros pushed her to the floor and dug a knee into her back.

"Yeah, actually." Ros leant close to her . "As much as I miss having malaria. Now where are we and what the Hell are you up to this time you scheming bitch."

"Don't swear." Tessa smirked as Ros resisted the urge to snap her neck. Neither woman expected to hear Ruth get to her feet. Neither had expected her to pick up the gun that had been discarded on the floor.

"Tell her." Ruth was amazed at how calm she sounded as she held the gun steady. Ros' eyes widened in shock. "Tell her who broke into my home and abducted me and why. Tell her why I was at risk of losing my daughter and why her kids don't know if their mum is getting home to them tonight."

"Oh Ruth, so emotionally involved in it all? Really? After all these years?" Tessa scoffed as Ros dragged her to her feet.

"Maybe," Ruth conceeded. "But go on, give me a reason not to put a bullet in your brain."

"Tessa." Ros narrowed her eyes. "Look at her. Pregnant, hormonal and extremely pissed off while holding a handgun. You really want to risk it? God knows I wouldn't."

##############################

Adam jogged towards the Pods as Harry and Malcolm returned. Erin stood with her hands on her hips as she watched the schematics of the Grid highlight exactly where the listening devices had been placed. The place had lost its feeling of general organised chaos only to be replaced by a sense of controlled panic. For the first time Erin realised how important Ruth and Ros were to the team. Both women brought a sense of calm that just wasn't there when they were absent.

"Adam." Harry barked as Zaf joined them.

"We have an address for Denise."

"Get her."

"No." Zaf snapped as he reached them. "I spoke with Hayley, the kid is innocent. She says her junkie auntie has only been back in her life since last summer. That her Dad wanted to build bridges. She has also cleaned at the school, seems while Hayley's father was having it away with the headmaster's wife the auntie was making a play for the headmaster."

"Bloody Hell." Adam shook his head.

"So, don't bring her in." Zaf stated as Harry's eyes narrowed. "Get a team to her house, we may just find Ros and Ruth."

Harry closed his eyes, knowing that the teenage girl had probably given them the information to save his wife and friend. He nodded once as Adam stared at him.

"Lucas, Adam take Beth, Erin and Dimitri."

"What about the bomb?" Adam knew he was not going to get into Harry's good books. "We're already down two officers and Calum has."

"I am aware of Mr Reids' current location." Harry snapped as the Pods whooshed open.

"I thought maybe I could be of help." Zoe smiled slightly as Harry nodded gratefully. Zoe was one of only two people left from his original team and he had never been so glad to see her.

"Thank you." Harry met her eye as she nodded.

"Find them." She stated quietly before walking over to her workstation as Zaf smiled.

############################################

Erin pushed her foot hard on to the accelerator as Beth checked her gun. She had no idea what they were going to find when they reached the small council house of the outskirts of Hackney. She decided to try not to think about it as she braked hard to avoid the speed cameras ahead. The brakes screeched in protest as Dimitri swore in the back seat.

"We don't need to draw any further attention to ourselves." She stated as she checked the rear view mirror to see Zaf almost on her tail. She knew Lucas and Harry were also headed towards the address Hayley had given them. For some reason she didn't trust the girl. She didn't know why.

"Harry." Dimitri tapped his ear as he spoke. "We're roughly four minutes away from scene."

"Good. Zoe has CO19 on standby, should they be needed."

"Oh great." Beth hissed.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence." Harry barked as he swung the 4x4 around the corner at such speed he almost lost control of it. "Tariq!"

"Harry, we know where the bomb is."

"Divert Adam and Zaf there." Harry barked. "Carter, no heroics."

"Me? Nah." Harry smirked as he heard his friend. "You know me Harry, bit of a wuss really."

"You said it." Zaf smirked as he turned the car away, ready to go to the location Tariq was realing off. Adam raised an eyebrow as Zaf pushed his foot on to the accelerator, ignoring the flash of the speed camera as he almost trippled the speed limit.

############################

Catherine placed Fidget and Muggles' food bowls on the floor as Scarlet took up residence next to Nick on the sofa. She knew she had to explain to the teenager where his mum was. Taking a deep breath she turned to see Calum as he picked Charlie up from the floor.

"Graham and Teresa are on the way."

"Yeah." She nodded. "I wonder what Carrie is telling Amy and James about Ros."

"They're three and fourteen months." Calum stated. "I hope she hasn't told them a psycho has kidnapped their mum and godmother." Catherine closed her eyes as Calum stepped towards her. Charlie held his arms out for his mother, knowing something was wrong.

"Nick is fourteen. I have to tell him something."

"Yeah." Calum agreed as Charlie nodded sagely, the way only two year olds can.

"What?" She sighed as the teenager appeared in the doorway. "What do you have to tell me?" Catherine bit her bottom lip as Calum's phone rang. He handed the toddler to her as he answered the phone. She knew the ringtone and held her breath as Calum answered. The look on his face as he listened to the caller made Catherine stop in her tracks.

"Cath, what has happened to my mum?" Nick frowned as Calum smiled slightly.

"Nick, mate."

"Tell me."

"Shut up and sit down and I will." He shook his head as Nick wandered over to the kitchen table. Catherine sat next to him as Charlie played with her hair. She had no idea what the new man on her Dad's team was going to say but she had a feeling it wasn't what she had feared.

"Right." He sat down with them as Graham arrived.

"What the?"

"Gray, sit down." Catherine whispered as her little brother fell silent and did as he was told. Calum stared at the kitchen table not quite sure how he was going to say what he had to.

######################

A/N More soon.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer not mine**

**Family?**

Graham swore under his breath as Nick raised an eyebrow. Catherine had been silent throughout Calum's explanation. He glanced at the blonde woman and tried not to let her see how worried he was.

"She's ok?"

"I don't know. All Beth said was they were at the location where they think Ros and Ruth are."

"What does that mean?" Catherine asked quietly.

"Nothing. Not really." Calum sighed. "She just said Harry wants us to stay here until he rings. There's still a clean up team at Harry and Ruth's."

Catherine closed her eyes as she tried not to think about why there would be a need for a clean up team at her father's house. Graham touched his sisters hand as Cal got to his feet.

"So, what? We wait?" Terri asked as she watched her fiance and his sister. Nick ran a hand over his face. Cal couldn't help but notice he was so like Harry at times it was hard to believe the boy had been adopted.

"Yeah." Calum nodded. "That's all we can do. I need to make a phone call. Check on Spike."

"Who?"

"My Cavalier King Charles." Calum blushed slightly as Catherine raised an eyebrow. "Well, he was Mum's but when she died he sort of ended up with me. Either that or the PDSA. Girl next door minds him when I'm in work."

"Girl next door?" Catherine sighed, convinced she had read all the signals wrong.

"Kelly, she's fourteen and mad on dogs. Spike loves her and it gives her some extra pocket money." He smiled as he pictured the teenager fussing over the dog. Catherine folded her arms as Terri and the boys wandered into the living room.

"You Calum Reid are a softy."

"Shh." He smiled. "Don't tell everyone."

####################

Harry stared at the now open front door as Beth, Erin and Dimitri searched the house. He felt sick, knowing Ruth and Ros were somewhere inside.

"Harry."

"Lucas."

"The house is clean. No sign of either of them or anyone else."

"I see." Harry sighed heavily as Lucas turned back and stared at the unassuming council house. "Tariq was certain."

"I know." Lucas shook his head. "I just hope Adam and Zaf are having more luck." He stopped talking as Erin appeared in the doorway.

"Sir, there's a garage at the back of the house, we can't get into it. Dimitri is trying Tariq's latest lock pick, but.."

"Get that door open." Harry lowered his voice as the new girl nodded. Lucas stepped into the house and almost ran after her towards the back door.

########################

Tessa glared as Ros pulled her to her feet. Ruth kept the gun trained on her at all times, trying her hardest not to let her hands shake as she held the gun. Memories of a french hitman and a terrified wannabe spook filled her mind as Ros met her gaze.

"Tessa." Ros hissed at the older woman. "Why couldn't you have done us all a favour and stayed under your bloody stone."

"So glad to know you missed me."

"Where's Tweedle Dum?"

"Jools?"

"The very man." Ros hissed. She hated the way Ruth seemed to be growing paler by the second. The fact her friend was just over five months pregnant worried her more than the ex spook she was holding on to.

"Where is he?" Ruth spoke for the first time since she picked up the gun.

"How do I know? He went soft on me and I can't be dealing with weakness."

"He stopped Ilya shooting Harry." Ruth glared at her. "That almost puts him back in my good books."

"It would."

"Start talking Tessa. We know you are involved in all this with Damion and Sophia. It stinks of you."

"Oh you flatter me."

"I'll so more than that." Ros hissed as the garage door sprung open. Suddenly the daylight caused Ruth to wince as the light hit her eyes and the sound of Dimitri, Lucas and the others forcing their way in silenced them all.

####################

"Shit. Shit, and double shit." Zaf mumbled as he stared at the small device under the entranced to London Bridge.

"You could say that again." Adam narrowed his eyes before tapping his earpiece. "Malcolm, are you seeing this?"

"Yes." Malcolm stared at the screen as he tried to work out what he was looking at. "That is not state of the art. The last I saw like this was back in the 1980s. I was freelance in those days."

"Can we do without the history lesson?"

"Certainly Mr Carter." Malcolm snapped as Zoe raised an eyebrow. "Do not cut any wires. To do so sets off a relay and will blow the circuit. It's rudimentary but effective."

Zaf ran a hand through his black hair as he tried to keep calm. Images of Emma and Danny flew through his mind. He had a funny feeling his son and stepdaughter were not going to be able to remember him. For a moment he understood how Harry must have felt when Graham and Catherine were small.

"What do we do?" Adam asked "Malcolm?"

"Firstly Adam." Malcolm stated. "Stay calm, secondly evacuate the area if possible and wait for the Bomb Squad."

"We don't have time." Zaf shook his head. "We really don't have time."

"In that case." Adam closed his eyes waiting for Malcolm to continue.

"What?"

"In that case look for a small black rectangle. Can you see it? Remove it but for Pete's sake be careful!"

Zaf nodded as he gingerly opened the casing, knowing it was the most dangerous thing he was ever likely to do. Adam rockd back on his heels and prayed he'd get home to Carrie, Wes and the baby. The seconds counted down as Zaf gingerly worked away. Malcolm held his breath, acutely aware Zoe was working only a few feet away from him. He held his breath while he waited for the counter to stop.

########################

Lucas glanced at Dimitri as Beth and Erin pulled their guns. Harry stepped to the front of the group aware that whatever was behind the door could be dangerous. He also desperately wanted his wife and friend to be behind it. He had no idea how he would react if they were both dead.

"Lucas." Harry nodded at the younger man. Neither man was entirely sure how to act. For a moment Lucas wished he was able to swap places with Ros. At least he knew she would know how to behave.

"Ready?"

"Yep." Dimitri got to his feet and rested a hand on the door. Gingerly he pushed it open aware that the others had their guns drawn. The sight that greeted them almost stopped Harry's heart in his chest.

"Oh my God." Harry breathed as Lucas stood dumbfounded. Erin shook her head slightly, reholstered her hand gun and stepped towards Ros.

"Ok?"

"You took your bloody time." Ros snapped before pushing the older woman towards Erin. "Make sure that is dealt with. I need to wash my hands." Lucas smirked as he watched Erin and Dimitri manhandle the silent Tessa away from the garage. Ruth rested her hand on her abdomen as her eyes met Harry's. Nothing was said, there was no need to say anything. Beth smiled slightly as she watched them before helping Lucas get Ros away from the garage. It was clear the Section Chief had been holding herself together for her friend. Lucas nodded for Beth to leave as he rested his hand on Ros' back.

"Get the car."

"But?"

"Get the car and then go with Erin. Trust me, with that bitch they are going to need all the help they can get." She nodded as she almost ran from the freezing cold garage. Ros closed her eyes, feeling Lucas' hand on the small of her back.

"You ok?"

"I'm always ok." She held his gaze. Lucas nodded once before ushering her out into the early spring sunshine. Neither had noticed Harry and Ruth were in the corner quietly talking.

#################

"Ruth." He touched her face, brushing her hair away from her face as she closed her eyes. The touch made her skin burn where bruises were still developing. He waited until she opened her eyes and stared at him.

"Scarlett? The cats?"

"Are fine. I promise you, they're fine." He smiled. Ruth covered his hand with his and brought it to her abdomen.

"I think she's ok. I fought back, Harry. This time."

"I can see that." Her bruises, grazes and the start of a nasty black eye were all testiment to the fight she had given her attacker. He pulled her into his arms as she closed her eyes and let the tears fall.

"You are still seeing a doctor." He kissed her temple as she nodded.

"Ok. Just for a check up. Just for Squeak." She hugged him back not knowing Harry was fighting to keep the tears at bay.

########################

A/N more soon? Please review.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer not mine.**

**Sorry for delay in updating. Things have been hectic here lately.**

**Bang!**

Zaf stepped back from the small bomb as Adam slapped him on the back. Commuters and tourists wandered past them as if nothing happened. He looked around wondering if any of them had any idea how close they had all come to getting killed.

"You ok?" Adam met his friend's eye as he spoke. Zaf nodded once.

"Yeah, but."

"But you can't help but think this isn't the end."

"Yeah." He looked around. "It just seems a bit too easy."

"And for us, things are never that easy. Malcolm? You there?"

"Of course." Malcolm stated through Adam's earpiece as Zaf smirked.

"Any news?"

"The FTSE is holding."

"Malcolm." Zaf glanced at Adam as they walked back to the car, leaving the bomb squad to deal with any clear up needed.

"Ros and Ruth are alive and well. Ruth is going to hospital for a check up and Harry is with her."

"Thank God." Zaf sighed.

"Ros?" Adam asked.

"Claims to be fine. Tessa is in the cells."

"Tessa? Tessa Philips?" Zaf shook his head as he dug out the car keys and threw them at Adam. Adam raised his eyebrows, knowing Zaf must have been feeling out of sorts to allow him to drive his precious car.

"Yes." Zoe's clipped tones could be heard down the line. "Dimitri and Erin arrested her thirty five minutes ago. At the moment she is claiming her right to remain silent. Which, you have to admit is not like her."

"Yeah, she does normally like to gloat. How does she fit into all this?"

"That's what Lucas and Ros are going to find out. Beth is going to talk to Hayley again." She sighed. "I think I'll go with her."

"Right." Adam sighed. "We're on the way back. We have to get Tessa talking, right now she'd the only lead we have."

##################

Ruth closed her eyes as the midwife stuck the needle in her arm. The small vials of blood filling easily as she rested her head back against the bed. Something just didn't feel right. It was like Tessa was the ghost that kept haunting them. Ever since Adam and the others had run into Yasmin in Damascus almost a year ago she had been like the spectre they just couldn't shake off.

"Mrs Pearce?"

"Um?" Ruth opened her eyes.

"It's ok, you can look now." The midwife smiled. "Alot of my mums hate having blood taken. We'll be needing a urine sample after your scan. Until then drink as much water as you can manage."

"Ok." Ruth pulled a face as the far too chirpy midwife left the room, clearly under the impression Ruth was not on the same planet.

"Hi."

"Mike." Ruth smiled before realising her face stung when she did. "Hi, how are you?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" He smiled broadly. "I am supposed to be on duty at Thames House but I'm running late. What happened?"

"I was beaten up when I was abducted from my own home." Ruth answered honestly. "The A&E doctor said I've got a hairline fracture in my right cheek and am going to have a lovely shiner tomorrow. The baby has been moving well, so he wasn't really worried."

"No? I am." Mike narrowed his eyes. "No doubt Harry is too."

"I am fine."

"Ruth." He sat next to her and held her gaze as he paused. "Have you told Harry? What we talked about?"

"No."

"Ruth."

"Mike, I just need to have my scan. As long as the baby is ok then that is all that matters."

"Ruth."

"Please Mike. I can't think about it." Ruth sighed. "I just have to deal with what is happening as it happens. You said yourself the headaches are more than likely to do with the high blood pressure."

"That's as may be."

"And there is no point in doing a brain scan when I'm pregnant. I know the white cells in my blood are low but that doesn't mean anything on it's own does it? I feel ok. The baby is ok."

"Ruth." Mike shook his head. "Just talk to him. At least tell him that the chances of you having a caesarian section early is very high. Don't shut him out."

"He has enough to worry about." Ruth closed her eyes.

"Do I?" Harry asked as he walked in the room. "Mike."

"Harry." Mike got to his feet. "I have to get back to Thames House. No doubt there'll be a few waiting for me. Take care, Ruth."

"I will." Ruth smiled slightly as Mike left the room.

"What don't I know?" Harry sat next to her as the sonographer walked into the room. Ruth bit her lip as he took her hand, the look in his eyes almost begging her to tell him what was wrong.

###############################

"Tessa Philips is a legend in MI 5." Erin stated as Tariq handed her a can of pop from the fridge.

"That is one way of describing her."

"What happened? I heard some stuff about ghost agents but that was years ago. Something about Tom Quinn and Danny Hunter."

"Yeah." Tariq sighed. "I wasn't here in those days."

"You were twelve in those days." Erin smiled as he tried not to look offended.

"Tom Quinn was the section chief in those days. Danny was in Zaf's job. I dunno if he had anything to do with it. Tessa terrified Zoe. I know that much from the last time she was around."

"So?"

"So, Jools was her weak spot." Tariq sighed. "And I wouldn't be surprised if she was the money behind all this. I mean Hayley's dad was a rich man. A really rich man but not that rich. She would have access to the sort of funds that don't really come from the local bank."

"Right Tar, do what you do best." Erin smiled.

"Follow the money." He returned the smile before jogging back onto the Grid.

###################

Ros ran a hand through her short blonde hair as she waited for the Pods to open. Lucas had been watching her quietly since she had left the garage. It was starting to get as annoying as the headache that had been blasting through her skull since she had woken up next to Ruth on the concrete floor of the garage. Everything ached but there was no way she was going to tell anyone that.

"Boss." Calum jogged through the Pods behind her.

"What?"

"Tessa is in the cells. The post mortem results on Damion Scott will be in tomorrow morning but the preliminary cause of death is as we thought."

"I thought you were babysitting?"

"Harry called. Ruth's being seen in maternity and Nick is staying with Graham and Terri for the night. It's as sorted as it can be for now."

"Ok then, help Tariq." Ros marched across to the kitchenette aware that both Malcolm and Lucas were watching her.

############################

"Baby looks ok." The sonographer smiled as Ruth let out a sigh of relief. Harry smiled slightly as he watched his daughter on the screen. "Bit small for dates but busy enough in there."

"Small?" Harry narrowed his eyes as Ruth stared at the screen.

"Not too small. Just a bit little considering you are what 22 weeks?"

"Approximately." Ruth whispered. Harry squeezed her hand, knowing that she had lost Chloe only a few weeks further into her first pregnancy. He just couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong now too. He knew when Ruth wasn't telling him something.

"Well, she still has time to catch up." The sonographer smiled. "Good strong heartbeat, everything in the right place. That's the main thing."

"Yeah." Ruth avoided Harry's eyes as she nodded.

####################

"I want to talk to Tessa." Adam announced as Ros raised her eyes.

"Ok."

"What?"

"You and me are taking her. I want an address for the Demon Headmaster and his wife. I don't take kindly to being poisoned by terrorists. Damion Scott had something going on at that school. A dummy bomb near London Bridge isn't the be all and end all. There is more planned I can feel it." She got to her feet as Adam stared at her.

"Ros."

"What?"

"You sure about this?" He watched as she nodded.

"Zaf, take Zoe and talk to Hayley. See if there is anything she isn't telling us. She seems to have a raport with you. Alec, take Beth and Dimitri and get back to the school. They break up for the Easter holidays today. We don't have much time." She gripped the side of the desk as she spoke. For a moment she wished Harry was there to issue the orders. "Tariq, Malcolm any joy with the CCTV?"

"I am currently going through the CCTV from the airports in and around London. If he has left the UK then I hope to see where he went." Malcolm looked back at the computer monitor as Zoe got to her feet.

"I'm checking ports." Calum sighed. "One of them may have tried to get out of the UK that way."

"No." Ros frowned. "I don't think they will be running. From what I gathered I don't think they are the type to run from what they have done. I don't think they see recruiting terrorists at a school and planting bombs in central London are wrong."

"What about Tessa?" Lucas spoke for the first time since they had arrived back on the Grid.

"Good question. Let her stew for a bit then I want to know how a scheming bitch like her gets involved with a racist teacher and his fancy piece." She got to her feet as the rest of the team began to leave and go about the tasks she had set them. Lucas turned back to his computer and booted up the information from Sayeed's memory stick."

#######################################

Ros poured water into the kettle as she thought about what to ask Tessa when she faced her with Adam later that afternoon. Part of her wanted to ring the hospital to ask about Ruth but she knew Harry would tell her she was to get on with the work while they waited for results. Sighing heavily she gripped the edge of the sink trying to focus. The nausea was almost overwhelming as she hung her head. The coffee had seemed like a good idea but it was abandoned at the side of the kettle as she fought to stop shaking, the effects of the poison rushing through her system as she tried to concentrate on staying upright.

"Bloody hell." She mumbled as she closed her eyes in concentration.

######################

"Lucas." He jumped as he heard his name. He knew he was alone on the Grid. "Lucas, kitchen now."

He frowned as he tapped his ear, checking that he hadn't left an earpiece in by mistake. Shaking his head he glanced towards the kitchenette, aware that the door was closed and Ros hadn't emerged since she had sent Adam down to the interview rooms to get ready to interview Tessa. He shook his head knowing Ros probably wouldn't appreciate him acting the concerned husband, however much he wanted to.

"LUCAS!" He snapped his head up as he heard rather than saw Jo. "She needs you. NOW"

He got to his feet just as Jo finished her sentance, certain that he was going insane. Jo had died almost three years earlier and even though she was missed every day on the Grid she was rarely spoken about by anyone other than him, Ros, Adam, Zaf and Ruth. He had a feeling he wasn't going to stop hearing her voice in his head unless he did as he was told.

"Officially loosing the plot." He muttered to himself as he opened the kitchenette door as Ros collapsed in front of him.

"Ros!" He caught her just as her eyes fluttered closed. "Ros!"

########################

A/N More soon. What is Tessa up to? Where is the headmaster and his wife? Who killed Damion Scott and are Ros and Ruth really ok? Please review.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer not mine. **

**Headaches and Heartache.**

Ruth closed her eyes as she thought about what Mike had said. She knew he had been looking at the worst case scenario, her midwife had said the same thing. She rested one hand on her growing baby bump as Harry walked back in the room.

"Tessa is in custody." He stated as Ruth's eyes flew open.

"Yes. She made it back to Thames House without being rescued or managing to escape. I may have to mention that in Dimitri and Beth's pay review." He smiled slightly as Ruth shook her head.

"You know they are good. And they aren't as green as they were."

"True." Harry conceeded as he looked at his hands.

"Harry." She turned to him as he ran a hand over his face. "What is it?"

"Ros has been poisoned."

"She told me." Ruth bit her bottom lip, immediately worried.

"She collapsed on the Grid. Completely lost consciousness. If Lucas hadn't caught her there is a fair chance she would have hit her head on the tiles." Harry held Ruth's gaze.

"You should go back to the Grid." Ruth held his gaze. "You're needed there."

"True." Harry tried not to let his voice change, knowing Ruth would immediately become defensive. "But I think I am needed more here, especially if there is more that you haven't told me."

"I'm sorry?" Ruth almost flinched as she realised what Harry had said.

"Because I thought we said no more secrets."

"We're made of secrets, you and I." Ruth looked away as she spoke. "Mike thinks the headaches may not be related to my pregnancy."

"Go on."

"He wants to do a CT scan of my head but I don't want any radiation. I know they can cover my abdomen to protect her but there is no way I am going to risk anything. I can't."

"I see." Harry closed his eyes. "He wants you to have a brain scan? Then what?"

"It could be simple migraine disorder. Infact it probably is. Or pregnancy related. Women my age are more prone to problems like pre eclampsia. Or it could be a brain tumor." The words left her mouth in a rush as Harry felt as though he had been punched in the guts.

"Ruth."

"Either way I am fine." Ruth blinked back the tears as Harry stood and crossed the already minute gap between them.

"Ruth." He swallowed hard as he pulled her into his arms. "You should have told me." He paused as she looked away. "We have to find out."

"No. You have too much to worry about." Ruth shook her head as she buried it in Harry's chest. "I can't. I can't have this baby early. She's too precious. I can't risk loosing her."

"I know." He kissed her hair as he held her. "I know."

#########################

Ros groaned slightly as she felt consciuosness returning to her. The world still spun on its axis and she fought the nausea that was threatening to overwhelm her.

"Ros?" Lucas almost whispered as her eyes fluttered open.

"Mnh?"

"Malcolm!" Lucas called as he heard the techi approach.

"Good Lord." Lucas smiled slightly as Ros narrowed her eyes. Both knew that was as close to swearing that Malcolm got. Lucas helped Ros into a sitting position as Malcom sat next to the couple.

"What happened?"

"I think." Ros swallowed hard. "That I am fed up of being poisoned. It really is getting tedious now."

"Ros." Lucas chided as the fear in his chest began to abate a little. "How are you feeling?"

"Like shit."

"Right." Malcolm got to his feet before pulling out his mobile. "I know you wont consent to going to hospital but Mike is on call. I want him to have a look at you."

"No." Ros shook her head and immediately regretted it. "I am fine."

"Collapsing on the kitchen floor is hardly fine." Lucas held her gaze as she shot him her best death glare. "The last time you fainted, you were."

"Not this time. Amy and James are enough." Ros smiled wanely as Malcolm talked to Mike.

"Mike says you need a blood test and an ECG. He'll meet you in Med Bay in five minutes." He narrowed his eyes as Ros glanced at both men. "Otherwise he suggests we take you to A&E."

"I don't have time for a three hour wait to be given an asprin." Ros snapped as she gingerly got to her feet.

"Right then." Lucas rested a hand on her back, ready to catch her if she fell again. "Come on."

######################

"You ready for this?" Alec smirked as he saw Beth straighten in the seat next to him. The younger woman was visibly tense at the thought of going back into the school.

"The Easter Holidays start tomorrow. The fact it is a private school gives the kids three weeks off." Beth started. "That means whatever Damion and the Demon Headmaster had planned is likely to take place soon."

"In the next day or so." Dimitri agreed. "That bomb Adam and Zaf stopped has to be the trial run. Next one will be live."

"There has already been a few attacks. Car bombs, parcel bombs. Nothing much when you look at the great scheme of things. Just enough to terrify the people targeted." Dimitri watched as Alec began analysing the situation.

"Not exactly what you want to find in the post." Beth agreed. "Look, if we are going to stop this we need to find Sophia and the headmaster." She rested her hand on the car door handle as Dimitri glanced up at the school building, knowing that there were still staff on the premises.

"How do we do this?"

"Beth knows the layout of the place. Follow her lead." Alec decided before following the petite blonde out of the car.

#######################

"Hayley." Zoe smiled as she sat next to the teenager.

"Hi."

"How's it going?" Zaf smiled as he took the seat opposite. Hayley rolled her eyes.

"Apart from finding out my father was a terrorist the week before he's murdered, leaving me an orphan? Hiding away in a safehouse with no access to Facebook, Twitter or Bebo? No way of contacting my friends? Great. Apart from that its party central here." Hayley narrowed her eyes as Zaf smirked.

"Yeah, apart from that."

"Where's Saye?"

"He's ok. I'll get him to come and see you later today." Zoe spoke calmly as the teenager smiled slightly for the first time since she had walked into the living room of the safehouse flat. "First we really need to ask a few questions."

"Ok."

"Did you ever hear the name Tessa Philips when your Dad was on the phone or talking to someone?"

"Tessa? No. I don't think so."

"Ok." Zoe glanced at Zaf as he pulled out a small photograph from his wallet.

"Hayley, do you recognise this woman?" He pushed the photograph into her hand as the teenager visibly paled.

"Shit."

"I take that as a yes." Zoe started as Hayley nodded slightly.

"Dad never called her Tessa." She pushed the photo back into Zaf's hand as if touching it may contaminate her.

"What did he call her?"

"No names that I could repeat here. I think he owed her money."

"Have you met her?" Zoe glanced at Zaf as he held the teenager's gaze. It was clear seeing the photograph had upset her.

"Once. Sort of. I mean she never spoke to me. Just looked at me as if I were something she stepped in."

"Sounds like her." Tessa laughed bitterly. "She certainly has a way with people."

"Yeah." Hayley agreed. "She was at my house. I came home from seeing Saye and she was there with Sir."

"You're Headteacher?"

"Yeah."

"Do you know what they were talking about?" Zaf asked patiently.

"Not really. Dad sent me out. Said I was to go upstairs and get on with my coursework."

"When was this?"

"Before Mrs Northey started teaching. I know because I was worried about her hating my essay. My last English teacher was a real nightmare." Zoe got up and walked to the window, frustrated that Hayley wasn't telling them anything they could really use.

"So, Tessa has been in the country for longer than we thought." Zaf sighed. "Thanks Hayley."

Zoe glanced towards her fiance wondering what he had seen that she had missed.

##################

"Ros." Mike stared at her. "What happened?"

"I was making myself a coffee before interviewing a suspect in an ongoing investigation."

"Ok."

"Next thing I know Lucas is panicking and Malcolm is calling you."

"Right, well. We need to run some blood tests." He smiled as Ros glared. "I really don't know what it is with the women of Sectionn D. It is ok to ask for help, to be unwell occasionally. It isn't a sign of weakness."

"What blood tests?"

"I want to look for any source of infection, anaemia, routine poisons and drugs. I'll need a urine sample for toxicology."

"Ok."

"And Ros?"

"Yes."

"I think we should also do some scans too. I'll book you in for an outpatients appointment at St Luke's."

"No. I don't have time. Just run the bloods."

"Ok." Mike knew when not to argue with the Section Chief. It seemed that she was determined to go straight back to work. "I'm not signing you as fit for work until the bloods are back so I suggest you go straight home. Rest, spend some time with Amy and James."

"We're halfway through a major terrorist threat."

"And what use is a Section Chief who through no fault of her own is drugged up? Let Adam cover for you. I'll call you with the results." He waited as Ros turned her head to watch the needle pierce her skin. There was no way she was going to admit needles still terrified her. Memories of Juliet injecting her made her feel sick as she watched the needle plunge into the vein on her arm.

"Ros?"

"I'm fine." She held her breath as the blood filled the little vials the doctor used. It was all she could do to stop the panic attacks resurfacing as the memories flooded her brain.

"Ros. Go home. Get Lucas to take you." She nodded, reluctantly agreeing with him.

"What time will I get the results?"

"Later on today. Now, go." He watched as the blonde got to her feet and walked out of his office.

##################

A/N More soon. Just a filler chapter. Next time Tessa verses Adam and Harry. Will Ros be ok and is Ruth finally facing up to what's happening? Please review.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer not mine I'm back online :) :) AOL man helped me fix the modem :D (embarrasing dance of joy!)**

**Money Talks.**

Tariq smiled slightly as he tapped the computer keys in front of him. Reems of data flew across the screen as he tapped away furiously. Malcolm looked over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow.

"Ok?" Malcolm nodded as Tariq spoke, his eyes never leaving the screen.

"That is ingenious." Malcolm pulled his chair nearer so he would be able to see what was happening. Tariq shrugged his shoudlers as Malcolm reached across and pointed to something on the screen.

"I've impressed the Master." Tariq smiled slightly as Malcolm laughed.

"Indeed you have. And what is this Trojan designed to do?"

"I was digging around in our old files. Seems Colin had started working out an internet worm that looks for specifc things. Programmes and key words. I adapted it, updated it a bit."

"And what will this update do?" Malcolm couldn't help the pride in his voice at his young protege and the best friend he still missed dearly.

"Rip through the financial records of Damion Scott and find what links him to Tessa Phillips and that demon headmaster and his wife."

"You really do want to stop this, don't you? Tariq, these things cannot be taken personally."

"At Christmas our boss, your friend was almost murdered by _her _boyfriend. Ruth is in hospital because of all this and Ros was poisoned. Yes, I am taking it personaly. I tend to when its my friends who are getting hurt."

"Ruth will be fine."

Both men turned as they saw Harry emerge from the Pods.

"Tessa I cannot vouch for." He smiled slightly as Tariq seemed to let out a sigh of relief. Harry knew the last thing Ruth would want was the team knowing about the tests she had just had done. Malcolm frowned slightly, reading something in his oldest friend's eye that he hadn't seen in a long time. Harry was scared.

####################

"Amy." Ros smiled slightly as her daughter wandered across to where she was sat with James on her lap.

"Daddy working?"

"Yes, Daddy is in work." Ros sighed, knowing that she should be in work with Lucas. Amy jumped on the sofa next to her as Ros realised she should be grateful of the time off. Part of her wondered what Adam and Harry were going to say to Tessa another part was grateful she didn't have to see her. She had no idea what she would say to the woman if they were left alone in the same room. Memories of her last encounter with the former officer. She was brought out of her thoughts by Amy tapping her on the shoulder.

"Muuumm!"

"Aiiiimmmmeee." Ros parroted back as Amy gave her the best death glare a three year old could manage.

"Phone." Ros swore under her breath as she realised Amy was right, the phone was ringing.

"Yes." She barked into the phone as Amy raised an eyebrow. James sucked his thumb as he looked at his mum and sister. Ros closed her eyes for a moment as she heard Mike say her name. She turned her back from the children. She was relieved that Amy and her little brother suddenly seemed to be much more interested in children's television than what she was doing. She fought to keep the nerves out of her voice as she listened to Mike talking away in his usual upbeat manner that usually annoyed her but was suddenly strangely comforting.

"Ok, so what's the verdict?"

##################

"You ready for this?" Adam glanced at Harry as he walked alongside him towards the interview rooms. Both men had known Tessa for more years than either cared to remember. Adam didn't like the way Harry had glared ahead and nodded once. Every cell in his bosy radiated pure anger and hatred for the woman they were about to talk to.

"I can call Lucas, if you are getting cold feet." Harry snapped as Adam glared at him.

"You know that isn't what I meant."

"Adam."

"Ruth is in hospital, you wont tell us why. I know you, the moment something happens to her you can't function."

Harry looked away for a moment, knowing his friend was right. It was almost a physical pain in his chest to even think of Ruth possibly being unwell or in danger. He nodded once before walking on ahead of Adam, knowing that to function he had to put all thoughts of Ruth and their baby out of his head if only to survive.

##############################

Beth stared along the darkened school corridor as Dimitri and Alec came to a stop behind her. The children had long since gone home and the only likely members of staff still present were going to be the school cleaners. Dimitri rested a hand on her shoulder as Alec tried and failed to open a door behind them.

"You ok?" Dimitri asked quietly.

"Yeah." Beth almost breathed the words as she turned to see Alec playing with the lock on the door behind them. "What are you doing?"

"Er, what does it look like?" He glared at her.

"Like you are trying to open the door to the cleaner's cupboard. Come on." She marched off as Dimitri fought the urge to burst into laughter. Alec glared and shook his head before following them.

Beth closed her eyes as she realised both men had no idea what they were looking for.

"Beth!" Alec turned her head sharply as she heard her name called. Dimitri swore under his breath as he raised his hands.

"Shit." She mumbled as Alec stepped closer to the woman holding the gun. Beth froze on the spot waiting for the gunshot.

####################

"Got you." Tariq smirked slightly as the computer programme in front of him stopped. For a moment he panicked, thinking the screen had frozen or hit the first firewall that he hadn't been able to predict.

"Got lucky?" Calum asked as he placed the mug of tea on Tariq's desk.

"Yeah." Tariq smiled. "I think I know how Tessa is linked to Damion. I think we better get this to Harry now."

"Er." Calum looked over the younger man's shoulder as he realised what Tariq had found.

"Oh my Lord." Malcolm sighed as he saw the screen both men were staring at in disbelief. "I think Tariq is right. Stop Harry from talking to that infernal woman until he sees this."

"What?" Erin brushed her long hair back from her face as Malcolm looked at her.

"Just stop him!" He picked up the phone as the new girl almost ran from the Grid. Calum ran a hand over his face while Tariq continued to stare at the screen in almost disbelief at what he had found.

"This mate." Calum sighed. "Is a bigger deal than we first thought."

#################

A/N is this any good? Please review.

A/N More soon.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer. I do not own Spooks**

**Truth be told?**

Erin ran from the Grid ignoring the looks of other officers as she barged past them. Not for the first time she was glad her father had made her take althetics as a school girl. She made a mental note to make sure Rosie did the same. _Not that Rosie was going to be a spook. No chance. _

"Sorry." She huffed as she ran past Stan. The middle aged security guard laughed as he watched her head towards the Interview Rooms.

"Sweetheart, they are in room 4." He shook his head as she raised a hand in thanks. He couldn't help but wonder what his friends in Section D had got themselves involved in this time.

############

"Ros?" Lucas smiled slightly as he heard his wife's voice. He was worried sick about what the test results may have found. He knew Ros would be acting as if they didn't matter. He knew she was as scared as he was.

"Mike called."

"Right."

"You're asset?"

"A no show." Lucas lowered his voice, the fact Ros was trying to change the subject as worrying as if she had just told him. "What did Mike say?"

"He is offically the med liasion to 5."

"Great."

"I was poisoned."

"I know."

"Yeah. Only our friends spared no expense. Nothing that would kill me straight away, they were too clever for that."

"Not straight away?" Lucas felt his heartrate increase dangerously. He knew the occupational hazards of being a spook meant that getting life insurance was a pain but he didn't expect to be a widow before he turned 45.

"A charming combination of medical grade Midazolam, Rohypnol, Ketamine, GHB and the old favourite cocaine."

"Amnesiacs? Why?"

"Don't be so naieve Lucas." Ros hissed as she glanced over to where the children were watching the Tweenies.

"Ros, you don't think. He didn't?" The thought of it made him feel sick. He knew Ros had thought the same.

"No. Well, I don't think they did. Anyway, it's a good job we had Amy and James when we did. One of their little surprises was adding a drug, Nyastine- a Russian drug used to sterilise horses. Harmless to the Mares but has proved not to be so great on us humans."

"Ros?"

"I wont be able to have anymore children. It backs up the theory of why they didn't want me to remember." She felt her eyes fill with tears as she remembered a conversation with Jo not long after Lucas had returned to work. Lucas fell silent for a moment, trying to control his anger. He knew that if he ever found the man they had nicknamed the Demon Headmaster he would not be able to control his actions.

"Never mind that. Are you ?"

"Lucas." She smiled slightly as she heard the emotion in his voice. "You know me. I'm always ok. Mike says aslong as I don't faint anymore and there are no more theatrics I can come back to work tomorrow."

"I'll be home soon."

"I want these bastards, Lucas. I really want these bastards."

"I know. So do I."

#####################################

Harry glared at the woman in front of him as Adam took a seat next to him. Tessa smirked as she watched Harry narrow his eyes.

"Oh Harry."

"Tessa."

"You have made a mistake."

"I am aware of that." Harry smiled slightly. "Ever agreeing to have you on my team. Biggest mistake I ever made was agreeing to work with you."

"Now now Harry."

Adam glanced towards Harry, wondering just how much of Tessa's goading the man was going to take. He leant forward, momentarily breaking Tessa's train of thought.

"You should be aware, this interview is being tape and video recorded as evidence."

"As the youth of today say. Bothered." She smirked as Adam pulled a face. He was about to reply as the door burst open.

"Sorry, Harry." Erin glared at the woman watching her. She had heard of Tessa Philips but had yet to meet her.

"Another brunette? Harry, you do have a particular type. How is Ruth?"

"Erin." Harry ignored her as Adam stepped past Erin and called for security to take the former officer back to her holding cell.

"I am sorry. Tariq has the link. You have to see this before you speak to Tessa." She held his gaze for a moment before stepping towards her.

"Adam."

"Yeah."

"Deal with _that." _He nodded towards Tessa before following Erin out into the corridor. Erin marched away from the room, eager to get back to the Grid. Seconds later Adam was behind them.

"What is going on?" He jogged to keep up with his boss and the new girl.

"Tariq and Malcolm have found something." She snapped. "We have to get back to the Grid."

"Any news on Beth and the others?"

"No." Erin punched the button for the lift as Harry fell silent.

#########################

"For God's sake." Alec glared at the woman holding the gun. "This is ridiculous."

"Sophia." Beth stepped towards the older woman. "What are you doing?"

"I think it is obvious."

"Sophia, please just put the gun down." Beth held out a hand to placate the woman who was clearly agitated. The gun wavered between her and Dimitri. Alec narrowed his eyes, wondering whether to make a move.

"What are you doing here? Why do you have to spoiil everything?"

"Spoil what?" Dimitri spoke for the first time.

"I know what you are doing. I know what you are up to!" She yelled as Alec rolled his eyes.

"Great, all we need. An hysterical banshee with a gun."

"Alec?" Beth smiled sweetly. "Shut up."

"He said that. He said I was hysterical."

"Who?" Beth took a step towards her. "Who said you were?"

"Damion. I was going to leave my husband for him. I loved him! I did!"

"Ok."

"You don't understand." Sophia glared. "I want to change the world. And with him I could. But then he started seeing her. Her! All low cut tops and hair straighteners."

"Tessa?"

"Yes. _Tessa._" She almost spat the woman's name.

"We know what she's like." Dimitri rested a hand on her arm as he pushed the gun to the floor. "We know exactly what she's like."

"She killed him. She killed Damion."

"Yeah? Then help us stop her." He soothed. "You say she killed the man you love. Then help us."

"You don't want my help." She raised the gun as Alec barralled forwards. Beth screamed as the single gunshot rang out through the school.

########################

Ruth closed her eyes as the nurse took her blood pressure again. She was desperate to go home. Being away from Harry and the rest of the family was killing her.

"Ruth."

"Yes?" Her eyes snapped open.

"Your blood pressure is back to normal. Any other problems? Any headaches? Is the little one as active?"

"The baby could play for Man United the way she's kicking lumps out of me." Ruth smiled. "I still have a headache but it's not so bad."

"The doctor will be back with your results in the next hour."

"Will he let me go home?"

"If he does, you need to be on bedrest."

"Have you met my husband? Our boys? There is no way any of them are going to let me move. I'll be bribing Catherine to help me escape." Ruth smiled as she thought of her step daughter. The nurse rolled her eyes. Ruth was a terrible patient, she knew the pregnant woman had only stayed in hospital to prevent her husband having a heart attack. It was clear the man was besotted with her. For a moment the nurse wished she had a man like Harry at home. Both women jumped as they heard the door to the room open.

"Ruth Pearce, you have the luck of the devil."

"Oh, feels like it." She smiled as Mike sat on the bed next to her.

"The baby is fine."

"Thank God." Ruth smiled as a hand rested on her smallish baby bump.

"You on the other hand." Mike raised an eyebrow. "Where's Harry?"

"Just tell me."

"Ruth."

"Mike, please just tell me."

He nodded as he glanced at the blue bedsheet. Ruth covered his hand, aware that he was trying to find the right words.

"Tell me."

########################

Harry marched back on to the Grid as Calum swore loudly. Erin jogged towards his side as Zoe appeared holding a piece of paper.

"Harry."

"Zoe."

"What have you got?" He took the paper from her.

"Zaf called in. It makes sense. Everything Tariq found. It makes perfect sense." She ran a hand through her mousy brown hair.

"Where is he?" Adam was immediately worried about his friend.

"Headed towards the school. He left Hayley about ten minutes ago."

"Right, Adam. You, Erin and Calum get after him." Harry read the paper in his hand as he spoke. Adam didn't need telling twice. Calum's chair squeaked as he pushed it away from the desk. "Tariq, are you certain about this?"

Malcolm nodded. "I have checked and double checked this."

"I'm right. I wish I wasn't but I am."

"And we always knew he was corrupt." Zoe countered as Harry nodded.

"Why is there never a General Election when you need one?" Harry shook his head. He reread the message Zoe had intercepted. "Get hold of Zaf, stop him going into the school until Adam and the others get to him. Any news on Alec or Ros?"

"No." Malcolm sighed.

"Keep trying." He marched towards his office, trying not to glance at Ruth's unoccupied desk.

#####################

Ruth got into the taxi and asked for Thames House. She knew Harry was going to be furious at her for going into work but she had to see him. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about what Mike had said to her. She thought about the case. Sophia Harrison had always been a nightmare. In the short time Ruth had known her in Cyprus she had found the woman to be spiteful and self absorbed. _But no more than Tessa or Juliet. _She shook her head to rid herself of the thoughts going through her head. One man was already dead, her friend had been poisoned and they were still no nearer to ending the case.

#######################

"Police are headed towards the school. Are Sayeed and Hayley safe?" Tariq called across the Grid as Malcolm glared at the CCTV screen.

"Yes." Zoe snapped as the Pod doors whooshed open. "Ruth?"

"Tessa blackmailed Harrison." Ruth stepped down the stairs towards the main Grid. "Sophia was always the brains behind this. I think she knew Tessa before she got back to the Uk. Tessa had Damion killed."

"Talk about Black Widow." Tariq glared as Ruth smiled slightly. "Ruth are you?"

"I'm fine." Ruth turned to see Harry walk out of his office. He stopped in his tracks as Ruth walked towards him.

"Ruth?"

"Harry." Ruth smiled as the colour drained from his face. "We need to talk."

##########################  
>AN More soon. Please review.


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer I do not own Spooks. Quick update as I hate to think of littlemissruth having no finger nails left!**

**Heartbreak?**

"Shots fired!" Calum hissed as Erin frowned. The car park of the school was deserted and decideedly errie at that time of night.

"Beth and the lads are still in there."

"You get into 5 for your amazing observational skills?" Zaf smiled cheekily before looking away. "We can't just leave them in there." He couldn't get the image of Hayley crying her eyes out away from his mind. Or the nagging doubt that Emma and Danny were going to grow up without him or Zoe. Adam's advice the day Danny was born prung to the front of his mind. _Let things crinkle out and make sure there is enough good stuff for them to remember._

"Let's go and have a look then." Adam smiled before opening the car door and running towards the school's side entrance.

"Does he ever listen to orders?" Erin huffed. Zaf smirked, shook his head and jogged after his friend.

############

Harry stepped past Ruth into his office as she closed her eyes. He pulled the blinds and closed the door behind her. She waited until he was stood in front of her before she dared look at him properly.

"What have I done to you?"

"What are you doing here?" He stepped towards her, almost drowning in her eyes. It seemed as though he was trying to memorise her featuers, incase he never saw her again.

"The baby is ok." Ruth smiled. "Squeak is doing just fine."

"Thank God." He rested a hand on her baby bump. The smiled grew wider when Ruth covered his hand with her own. "You?"

"I was discharged from the hospital. I didn't escape. Mike came to see me."

"What did he say?" Harry felt his heart rate increse to an almost dangerous pace.

"Harry."

"I can't loose you, Ruth. I keep dreaming that you are on that bloody barge again. Or that you are dying in my arms. I can see your body as cold and lifeless as the grave." Ruth closed her eyes, she knew all about his recurring nightmare. It wasn't much different to her own. She touched his face.

"The blood tests were normal, apart from me being a little bit anemic. Apparently that is common in pregnant women."

"Catherine had iron tablets when she was carrying Charlie."

"See? You were paying attention." Ruth brushed away a tear as Harry closed his eyes. "The brain scan showed nothing abnormal."

"So?"

"He says I have Hemiplegic Migraine. Thats why I was having the headaches and the weakness down my arms."

"That's treatable?"

"Yes, I am going to be fine. No cancer, no brain tumours. I still have to watch my blood pressure, for the baby but I'm going to be around for a very long time. I almost had to drag the diagnosis out of Mike. He was as chocked up as we are now. I think he's as much Section D as we are these days." She watched Harry open his eyes.

"You should have called me."

"I needed to see you." She sighed as he kissed her. He buried his head in her neck as he held her, one hand in her hair, one on her back as she wrapped her arms around him. He breathed her in as if she was the oxygen that was keeping him alive. Ruth felt the tears spring to her eyes.

"Can't loose you." He whispered into her hair, "Either of you."

"Good job I'm not going anywhere then." She smiled as he kissed her temple. He cursed as he heard the office door flung open.

"TARIQ!"

"Sorry." The baby of the team blushed a shade of red Ruth didn't think was humanly possible. "Shots fired at the school."

"Shit." Ruth hurried past him towards her own work station, quickly followed by Tariq.

############

"Lucas?" Ros spoke into her mobile phone. She walked towards her car, knowing Amy and James were safe with Carrie. Amy adored Wes and was happily telling him all about the last episode of the Tweenies Ros had allowed her to watch.

"Where are you?" He sounded exhausted and angry. Ros rubbed at her arm, knowing that was where Harrison had injected her with the poison.

"On my way to Thames House." She started the car engine. "If you ask me if I am ok then I swear I will scream."

Lucas smiled slightly. That was more like the Ros he knew and loved. He stared at the printout in his hand, wondering what would happen if he told Ruth why he had asked her to find the information for him. He had a feeling she had guessed.

"Ok, I wont ask."

"Good."

"Ros?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't rush back. You know we have Tessa in the cells. You know we have a lead on Sophia Harrison. We are going to stop this."

"Oh we will catch them. I guarantee you that." Ros ended the call before pulling out in traffic. She couldn't shake the sense of dread in the pit of her stomach. Flashes of memory assaulted her as she drove, but she couldn't work out what was actual memory and what was her mind trying to fill in the gaps she so desperately wanted to.

########################

"Shit." Alec pulled a face as the blood and bits of bone sprayed the wall. He didn't mind admitting the sight in front of him made him feel physically sick. He was glad Juliet wasn't there to see him abandon his usual mach man semi neathanderal image. Beth shook visibly as Dimitri rested a hand on her arm. He pulled out his mobile, aware that a clean up team would be needed.

"Harry?"

"Alec."

"We have Sophia Harrison." He swallowed as he looked at the disfigured corpse. "Well, "

"Ok." Harry barked. "Bring her in."

"That may be a bit difficult."

"Alec, explain."

"She shot herself. In front of us."

"Any other injuries?" Harry asked, aware that the remaining desk spooks were almost holding their breaths as they waited for Alec to answer.

"We need a clean up team. Now. No other physical injuries."

"Adam and the others should be with you in a few seconds. Get back here." Harry ended the call as Zoe swore fluently under her breath. Alec shoved the phone back in his pocket and stepped past Dimitri.

"What?"

"Get her out of here." He nodded towards Beth who was clearly having a flash back of some sort. The woman was almost catatonic with anger and grief at what she had seen. He wondered for a moment if Beth's reacton was actually the most appropriate at witnessing another human end their own life. Maybe he was the cold one.

"What?" Beth glared at him as he stooped and searched Sophia's pockets.

"Most people keep their mobile phones on them." He explained. "Smartphones are a spooks' best friend."

"Because everyone keeps everything on them." Erin answered as they reached them. Zaf pulled a face before looking away.

"Clean up?"

"On route." Dimitri answered. "C'mon." He ushered Beth back the way they had come.

"You reckon we can break into this phone?" Alec asked.

"Standard I phone 4s? Like you have to ask." Calum reached forward and slipped it into a polythene bag. "If I can't Tariq can."

"Back to base." Adam ordered as he pulled out his own phone to ensure the local police found the suicide victim after they had slipped back into the shadows.

#####################

A/N More soon. Please review.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer not mine**

**Breaking Point?**

"Tariq" Adam jogged towards the youngest member of the team holding the dead woman's smart phone. Tariq raised an eye brow as the blonde spook reached his desk.

"Yeah?"

"This needs breaking into. How long till you can get your hands on the information in it?"

"Standard Iphone 4s? No fancy security added?"

"Don't think so."

"Right." Tariq took the phone and booted up the main screen. "Give me twenty minutes."

"Twenty minutes?" Adam was genuinely impressed.

"Yeah." Tariq nodded. "I'll have it ready for Ruth to analyse by the time you've made the coffee."

"That might take longer than twenty minutes." Zoe interupted as Adam laughed. "Took him three years to make the last lot." Adam shook his head before heading off to Harry's office, knowing his boss would want to know what had happened at the school.

###############

"Can you just leave it?" Alec growled as Beth and Erin continued to bicker ahead of him. Zaf shook his head.

"Do not get involved, Mate. Really, when they start it's not worth getting in between them. You're the one who'll come out of it worse." Alec rolled his eyes at Zaf. Both women carried on oblivious. He noticed Adam had abandoned them while Dimitri kept a discreet silence but was never far from his girlfriend's side.

"No, you listen to me" Beth glared as the former Section K chief rounded on her.

"Oh go on."

"You walked into a situation you knew nothing about. She could have had a bomb on her. She could have fired that damn gun because you spooked her. Pun intended."

"Oh and you were doing such a good job of talking her down!" Erin snarled.

"Yes, actually I was." Beth held her ground. "She was caught up in something and was backed into a corner. I was this close." She held up her fingers as she spoke. "To getting that damn gun away from her."

"Yeah right."

"Yes." Beth glared.

"Well, from where I am standing you should be decommissioned." Erin spat before walking away. Ruth raised her eyes from the computer as |af sat down and shook his head. Both women seemed oblivious to the fact Harry and Adam were watching from the office doorway and Ros was stood in the doorway of the kitchenette. The rest of the team had fallen silent, halfway between morbid curiosity at what they were witnessing and disbelief that Erin had just said what she had. No one talked about decomissioning anyone. It was the greatest taboo on the Grid.

"What?" Beth stepped towards her as Dimitri got to his feet. Ros shook her head slightly as Dimitri held her gaze for a second. Harry narrowed his eyes, watching as Ros walked towards both women.

"I suggest you take Alec's advice. And that is not something I thought I would hear myself say."

"But she." Ros turned her gaze onto Erin as the dark haired woman fell silent.

"Oh for pity's sake I don't get this crap from James and Amy. If anyone talks about decommissioning it'll be those who are actually able to get rid of you. Oh and when I last checked that was Harry and myself."

"The last person to be decomissoned was Tom Quinn. Now unless either of you want to find yourself joining the millions unemployed I suggest you get back to work." Harry barked. "Section D existed before either of you talked your way in to a job. And I seem to remember both of you practically begging me to add you to the team. It is on Lucas' recommendation that you are here Elizabeth. And you, Erin joined via the back door. I seem to remember a few reports you were asked to right." He narrowed his eyes as both women looked suitably sheepish. "Now excuse me, but we have a terrorist cell to crack. Last time I checked this was MI-5's anti terrorist team not Grange Hill."

"Right." Ros barked. "Show's over. Alec? Care to join me?" She asked as Alec nodded, relieved his boss had given him an opportunity to get off the Grid.

"Been ages since Tessa and I had a good chin wag." He scooted out of his seat and almost ran after the blonde.

#############

Lucas poured himself a coffee and winced as the hot water splashed over the mug. He hadn't heard Zaf walk into the kitchenette.

"Harry wants everyone back on the Grid." He smirked as he saw Lucas mop up the spilt drink.

"Right."

"Lucas?"

"Yeah?"

"Is Ros alright? I mean, she's my mate yeah? But something is off." Zaf watched Lucas visibly pale. He knew he was right. Zaf had always been able to read people. The fact the man in front of him had suddenly become so quiet confirmed his suspicions.

"She will be." Lucas smiled. "I'll make sure of it."

"Ok." Zaf nodded. "You know I think of her and Ruth as the sisters I've never had."

"You have two sisters."

"You've met Claire and Yasmin." He raised an eyebrow. Lucas smirked, he knew Claire was overbearing and Yasmin over protective.

"Fair point."

"Ros won't admit it but she's going to need us. If I'm right, you more than anyone."

"Zaf." Lucas turned to face him, coffee long forgotten. "I wont let her down. I promise you that."

"Good. Now get a move on, Harry's already at breaking point." He turned and left the kitchen while Lucas closed his eyes in thought.

########################

"Oh my Lord." Malcolm read the screen in front of him as Calum peered over his shoulder.

"Tariq found this?"

"Yes."

"I don't think Ruth will have much to decode and analyse." Tariq interupted. "It's pretty obvious what that means." He nodded at the screen. Unaware that Ruth had walked over to them.

"Oh my God."

"That's what he said." Calum nodded towards Malcolm.

"Well, he's right. Has Harry seen this?"

"Not yet."

"Ros?"

"Not yet." Calum turned to Ruth. "She's with Alec."

"She needs to know. We knew this was big. But."

"This is beyond big. This isn't just us. This is not just London." Tariq glared at the screen. "Where did you say you met Sophia?"

"In Cyprus. She worked at the same hospital as I did. Briefly." Ruth re read the information on the screen. She shook her head, sad the woman was dead despite everything.

"She was involved in some serious shit." Calum ducked, half expecting Malcolm to chastise him for swearing around Ruth. The analyst nodded.

"Who's going to tell Harry?"

"I'll take Ros." Malcolm smiled slightly as the rest of the Geek Squad became engrosed in their work.

"Well, you are married to him." Calum smiled cheekily.

"True." Ruth smiled. She rolled her eyes, aware that Tariq and Calum had never seen their boss lose his temper the way he had earlier. She could understand why they were so wary. "Ok, I'll do it. But we have to stop this. How many agencies are going to be involved?"

"A few." Malcolm shrugged his shoulders.

"Us, Mossad, CIA, the French. The Germans. There are certainly going to be a few different nationalities involved."

"And they plan on blaming their atrocities on someone else." Calum narrowed his eyes as Zoe spoke. He nodded, knowing the Case Officer was right.

"Simultaneous terrorist attacks in all corners of the UK and abroad. There'll be carnage." Zoe sighed.

"No." Ruth stepped back, suddenly aware that Harry was watching her. "There wont be. We'll stop it."

"I wish I had your faith." Harry rested a hand on the small of her back, eyes fixed on the computer now he had joined them. "Tessa is going to start talking. If she doesn't I'll arrange for the yanks to have an interview with her."

"Harry. "Ruth turned to him. "Advanced interrorgation, it's not what we do. Or condone."

"I still don't." Harry paused. "We have the times and dates, if this information is reliable. All we need now is the names of those involved. Ruth's right. We will stop it."

#############

Alec rested his arms on the table in front of him as he appraised the middle aged woman in front of him. Ros looked bored. He knew she was silently weighing up the former Section Head. Tessa was doing the same.

"So." Ros started.

"What?" Tessa almost yawned. Ros barely resisted the urge to lean across the table and strangle her.

"How do you feel about spending the next forty years in prison?"

"You can't prove anything." Tessa snarled. The door to the interview room burst open. Zoe placed a folder in front of Ros and Alec before pointing at the relevent message Ruth had underlined. She glared at Tessa for a second before turning and walking out.

"Oh." Ros smiled. For a moment Alec thought she looked like a cat that had just caught a mouse. "I think we can."

##################

A/N More soon. Please review.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer not mine

?**Problem Child**

Ros glared straight ahead as she tried to get her thoughts in order. Ruth and Tariq had finally uncovered the information they needed to work out what was going on. She was only half listening to Harry as he barked out orders at the team. The fact that every case that had involved teenagers had ended badly just woudn't leave her. She closed her eyes remembering the look of total devastation on Lucas' face when his young informant had been shot dead in front of him, the way Ruth had reacted when Nick had originally been taken back to Cyprus to live with his aunt. Then there had been the case of the young woman who had almost launched a missile attack on the UK, resulting in Harry authorising codes that blew the pulse weapons through the Thames. She shuddered inwardly aware that Harry had stopped talking.

"One dead racist pig, one dead woman and a missing head teacher. Enough money in the bank to buy half the corrupt politicians on the planet and an ex spook in the cells." Ros paused.

"What are you saying?" Harry turned to face her, the carpet finally getting some relief from his almost constant pacing.

"Hayley lost her Dad. She is just a kid."

"We know." Ruth stated, wondering where Ruth was going with this. "Ros?"

"She said to Zaf that she overheard her father talking to Tessa. That Tessa was at her house. So that has to mean Tessa has been in the country for some time. Longer than we believed."

"Yeah." Adam nodded. He had no idea where the Section Chief was going but he knew he was not going to like it.

"Tessa wont tell us anything. We may as well just charge her on the evidence we already have and put her in the cells." Zoe joined the conversation as Harry stepped back, watching the team draw their own conclusions. Ruth sighed heavily, the baby moving and making her uncomfortable in the position she was sat in. Malcolm smiled at her slightly, aware that she was desperate to get the meeting over. Zaf held Zoe's gaze as she spoke, he was still worried about her history with Tessa. It was something they never discussed, although the entire team knew it was Zoe that had found the 'ghost' officers Tessa had been putting through the books years earlier.

"True." Harry nodded, deep in thought.

"Ruth." Ros turned to her. "You talk to Hayley. I know we need your analyst skills here but we also need to know if the kid is telling the truth."

"What about Sayeed?" Beth avoided Erin's glare. Lucas nodded.

"He's on the level."

"His father was a sleeper agent for years." Harry stated. "I trust the boy."

"Hayley is an unknown quanity. We've all played the ignorant victim when we have to." Ros pushed herself away from the wall. Alec narrowed his eyes, noticing for the first time that the Ice Queen wasn't quite as physically strong as she had been before her and Ruth had been abducted. She held her left arm slightly awkwardly and met Lucas' eye more than once. It was almost as if she was scared of something or in pain and trying to hide it. He made a mental note to try to talk to her or Harry about it later.

"I'll talk to Hayley." Ruth sighed. "If nothing else we have at least some common ground." She pushed herself away from the desk as Harry nodded sadly.

"Take Erin with you."

"But."

"Erin." Harry watched the new girl nod her head. She wasn't going to argue and Harry knew keeping Beth and Erin apart for a little while was probably good for staff morale.

################################

"Four planned attacks and our analyst is playing babysitter." Calum slumped into the car next to Dimitri as the former SBS man rolled his eyes.

"Ruth lost her dad when she was in secondary school. Maybe she can get Hayley to open up when Zaf and the others failed."

"I lost my dad when I was fifteen. Don't see Harry pulling that card with me."

"Sorry, didn't know." Dimitri immediately regretted snapping at the new techi. "I."

"Car crash. On the way home from work. He fell asleep at the wheel. Never woke up." Calum started the car engine. "Now you ready for this?"

"Yeah." Dimitri nodded, aware that it was the end of the conversation. There was no way Calum was going to confide anymore personal information at the moment. The newest member of the team may have been Erin's brother in law before she was widowed but it was the first time Dimitri realised just how alone Calum was outside of work. He hoped things worked out with him and Catherine, if only to destroy the reckless streak Calum had. It seemed the junior case officer/technical assistant really didn't care if he was killed, the only surviving member of his immediate family meant he had nothing to live for.

"Don't." Calum smirked.

"What?"

"Sit there and analyse what I just said. Yes, I lost my dad when Matthew and I were kids. He was a year older than me. Yes, my Mum died of cancer last year and Matthew was murdered because he was MI 6 but I have plenty to live for. A niece and a cavalier king charles spaniel, thank you very much."

"I know." Dimitri smirked. "And there's that thing with the boss's daughter."

"Shut it, Dim. Just shut it." Calum blushed a shade of red Dimitri had never seen on another man. Shaking his head he knew he had to talk to Beth should they ever get home.

#########################

"Calum and Dimitri are at Canary Wharf." Malcolm sighed heavily as he saw the tracker on Calum's pool car activate.

"Erin and Ruth are with Hayley, Ros and Lucas are with an informant and Zaf and Adam are checking on a potential lead." Zoe rested her head on one hand. Malcolm nodded. Tariq yawned, reaching in his desk for another can of Red Bull.

"Why don't you get some rest?" Malcolm looked on as Tariq shrugged his shoulders.

"Nah, I'm alright." The exhaustion in his voice easy to hear. "I'm like a shark. I never sleep." Zoe smiled slightly at the younger man. Concerned that if the baby of the team didn't start taking care of himself there was a very good chance they would loose him. He had already been attacked once, she dreaded to think of what might happen should he have been too exhausted to fight back.

"Please, take a break." She walked to his desk.

"Ok, when you go back on maternity leave." He smiled at her cheekily, knowing the argument was over.

###############################

"Adam?" Harry barked into the phone, aware that both Adam and Zaf were the only ones actually in the field.

"Yeah?"

"Status report."

"Zaf's driving means Ruth will need to help us with the local traffic police."

"Again?" Harry closed his eyes. There was no way he was going ask Ruth to break into the PNC and alter the amount of points on Zaf's licence to a more legal level. Or erase any piece of film that showed his car flying through a speed camera's path. It wasn't worth upsetting her.

"Canary Wharf has to be one of the most secure places in London."

"It was on Sophia's phone as a possible target."

"Can't see it." Adam turned, the phone still at his ear. "Good opportunities for sniper cover but I don't see how they could get a device in any of the buildings. Security is exeptional, especially with the Games this summer."

"Do not mention those to me." Harry stared through the glass of his office window to where Ruth should have been sitting. The fact he had willingly let his pregnant wife out in to the field frightened the life out of him. He looked away, aware that his imagination could conjour up all sorts of things that could be happening to Ruth and Erin that he really didn't want to think about.

"I know this place was a target but unless they want to risk us picking them up straight away there is nowhere they can get anything in here." He walked towards his car. Zaf had his hands shoved in his pockets, apparently lost in thought.

"Good." Harry barked. "I have alerted our offices in Cardiff, Belfast and Glasgow. French Special Forces, Mossad and the CIA have all been informed. It's up to them to deal with it. The way it looks to me, we have hours to find and neutralise the threat. A missing school teacher, a dead headteacher's wife and a murdered racist doesn't mean that they don't have others out there."

"True." Zaf finally joined the conversation, tugging his collar up against the rain.

"Find Ros and Lucas. They've been quiet for too long." Harry placed his phone back on his desk before either officer had a chance to argue.

#############################

"Ruth?" Erin killed the car engine once she had parked in front of the run down house Hayley was being kept in.

"Yes?" Ruth unbuckled her seatbelt, trying to calm her nerves. She knew she had to keep her blood pressure down. There was no way she was going to risk not growing old with Harry and their strangely functional dysfunctional family.

"Are you sure you can do this? You know what hysterical teenagers can be like."

"Having been one." Ruth opened the car door and marched towards the house. Erin rolled her eyes, a vague memory of Adam telling her Ruth was an only child whose parents had died flew across her mind. She swore at herself before locking the car and jogging after Ruth.

################################

"I don't like this." Zaf pushed his foot to the accelerator as he spoke. "I just don't."

"Lucas and Ros were not really in the field. I have no idea why they are not answering the phone."

"Unless?"

"Zaf!" Adam laughed. It was the last thing he wanted to imagine his friends doing, especially when he was Ros' ex boyfriend.

"Well, they are married. Anyway, they should answer. Ask Tariq to put a trace on the car, see if they are where they are supposed to be,"

"Already have." Adam glanced sideways. Zaf nodded. He knew Adam was going to ask him why he was so worried about Ros but there was no way he was going to break Ros' trust. She dispised being the subject of gossip, however well intentioned.

###############

Erin pushed the door to the safe house open. Ruth stepped in behind her. The air was acrid with the smell of cigarette smoke.

"Hayley doesn't smoke." Erin nodded towards the living room door. "Stay here."

"No." Ruth narrowed her eyes. "No tree branches handy, you're stuck with me."

"Is anyone going to explain that? Ever?"

"Maybe." Ruth half whispered. "When you and Beth stop acting like school girls."

"I." Erin turned away, aware there were voices coming from the room opposite. She motioend for Ruth to stay quiet before stepping forwards. The door burst open as Erin was pushed to one side like a rag doll. The woman barged past Ruth, knocking her to the floor. Ruth grasped her side, aware that the world was spinning dangerously off it's axis.

"I think that was Hayley. Go after her." Ruth gasper, her hand clutched over her ribs.

"Ruth."

"I'm fine, just winded. Go after her."

Erin nodded, there was no blood on Ruth's shirt so she took her at her word and sprinted after the dark haired teenager. She had a feeling things had just got way out of hand.

#############################

A/N Hopefully another chapter after this one quite soon. Is Hayley really involved? Will Harry ever face Tessa? Will Ros remember what happened to her at the hands of the Headmaster and can the team stop him before he commits the biggest terrorist attack the Section has ever dealt with. Henry Parks (from A Christmas Tale) May also appear soon. Reviews=faster updates.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer Spooks so does not belong to me.**

**Voices?**

"What the?" Ruth closed her eyes and leant her head against the cool wall, listening to the voices coming from the room next door. She knew Erin had run after Hayley but apart from that she was at a loss as to what was going on. The safe house had been under 24 hour surveilence but it seemed someone had been able to frighten the teenager enough to run away.

"Oh Hayley." She pushed herself away from the wall. The voices in the next room began to get louder and she could see that there was no way this was going to be the straightforward interview Ros had labelled it as.

####################

"What do you mean? You don't know where they are?" Harry barked into the phone. Adam cringed slightly.

"Beth and Dimitri had a contact they were going to see so Zaf and I took the Canary Wharf recci. Ros and Lucas? I have no idea. Neither are answering the phone. I don't like it Harry. It's not like them to drop out of circulation. Not these days."

"Get back here." Harry ended the call and replaced the phone on his desk. He was furious. Lucas and Ros had both disappeared at various occasions over the years but never without warning. He glanced through the blinds to see Calum and Tariq debating something while Malcolm ignored them and stared at th computer screen in front of him looking more and more worried. He sighed heavily before walking over to his desk and turning the computer on. Wherever Ros and Lucas were, whatever was happening with Erin and Ruth there was still an active threat and still potentially four bombs about to blow London and the other British capital cities to deal with. Grabbing the phone he hit the speed dial. Seconds later a distinctive welsh accent answered.

"Dewi." Harry smiled slightly. "Any news?"

"Well, good morning to you too, Harry."

"It isn't morning." Harry snapped. The jovial welshman ran the Cardiff office of MI5 and was the least likely spook Harry had ever seen. He had to remind himself that was why Dewi was still one of the best spooks he had ever met.

"Ever observant, Harry. Listen, we're on things here. Cardiff Bay or the Millenium Centre. I have officers and Bomb Squad ready to go. You don't have to check on us."

"No arrests?"

"Now listen, yer." Dewi started. "'ow long 'as it been since you worked with me? Ten years? Fifteen? Arrests come later. We stop the damn thing exploding first."

"The Henry Parks school of anti terrorism." Harry smiled slightly.

"Never did me any harm."

"No." Harry agreed. "Never saw you leave the UK either. You would have wanted the arrests first if you had been out in the field like us."

"I know what happened to you and those girls. Julie and Carly?"

"Juliet and Connie. Just stop the bomb. Any arrests I want to know. I've got the Irish office on line 2. Keep me in the loop. None of this English verses Welsh bollocks. It's not the rugby now."

"Nah, true enough. You remember who got the Grand Slam though." Dewi hung up before Harry could argue.

################

Erin sprinted down the street after the sixteen year old girl. She hadn't run so fast since she had left school.

"Hayley!" She grabbed the young girl's collar while Hayley swore profusely.

"What? Get off me."

"Hayley." Erin repeated as she tried to catch her breath. "You and I need to have a little chat."

"Says who?"

"Me." Erin glared at her. "And my boss. Actually Sayeed is concerned about you too."

"Yeah, right."

"Hold on. I thought it was all hearts and flowers and Romeo and Juliet for you pair."

"I've seen him once since all this happened." Hayley spat.

"Such is life." Erin glared, her hand firmly around the teenager's wrist. "Keep walking."

"Where are we going?"

"Back to the safe house. My colleague is there."

"I know."

"Then why run?"

"Because that chain smoking idiot you sent after me got heavy."

"Hold on, when I said colleague I meant Ruth. Our analyst." Erin felt the panic begin to rise in her stomach. "You've met her? 5ft 3 brown hair, pregnant." Erin marched her young charge away from the road side. "Who did you think I mean?"

"Old bloke. Fat, older than you. Said his name was Harry."

"That is not his real name. Whoever he is." Erin thought she was going to be sick. She dug in her pocket and speed dialled Beth. "It's me." She snapped when Beth answered. "I need back up. I think Ruth is in trouble."

###########################

"You ok?" Lucas croaked as the smoke cleared. He knew Ros was there with him, but he had no idea where.

"I am." She coughed. "Always ok." Lucas smiled. Even now she would never admit to being hurt or scared. He rolled on to his side to face her, the room now more visible that the smoke had cleared slightly.

"Good." Lucas watched as Ros pulled herself into a sitting position. "You get the feeling we found the bomb factory?"

Ros nodded as she got to her feet. The debris and smoke cleared. Lucas wiped his eyes. His back ached and his ears rung. He knew memories of the hotel explosion almost four years earlier would be at the forefront of her mind. He could remember every detail of the fateful day Ros had been trapped under masionary while those responsible for Nightingale were arrested or escaped. He took a deep breath, desperate to give Ros some idea that the situation was getting to him too. He knew she would not let the mask slip while she was in work, it was later that he would see the real Ros. The one the rest of the world didn't get to see. She gripped her arm before walking gingerly towards the hole in the wall where the explosion had originated.

"Lucas?"

"Yeah."

"We've definately found the bomb factory." Ros nodded to the hole, the remnants of the detonator had splattered across the inside of the wall, plastic and wires singed and burned. Lucas nodded before turning full circle.

"Ros?"

"What now?"

"Move." He half yelled as he half dragged her from the building. The little red lights counted down the seconds. Lucas hit the tarmac with a thud as Ros landed alongside him. Smoke and debris blew out into the street. Car alarms screamed in protest as windows rattled and cracked all around them. Ros' head hit the ground with a sickening thud. Lucas stared for a split second as her eyes remained open but lifeless next to him.

"Ros?"

##########################

Ruth steadied herself. The strong smell of smoke hit her nostrils as she turned away from the wall. She had no idea where Erin was, or why she hadn't got back to the safe house. She narrowed her eyes as the pieces began to fall back into place. The car they had expected to see outside hadn't been in its allocated place. The way the door had been almost ajar, Hayley running away as if her life depended on it. Ruth silently cursed herself for allowing Erin to drag her into a convrsation when she should have been on the ball. One hand on her baby bump and the other in her pocket she quietly speed dialled the Grid, hoping Malcolm or Tariq were near their computers as she edged nearer the door. She closed her eyes and waited, aware the man in front of her knew exactly who she was.

"Ruth."

"Hello." Ruth glared.

"Seems to me we have a problem." He raised his gun.

##################

A/N more soon xx


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer not mine**

**Feel**

Erin broke into a run as Hayley swore and tried to keep up. Beth and Dimitri were on the way to meet them and she knew Harry would have heard the call for help before any of the others. She knew he had a sixth sense when it came to Ruth. She just prayed she was in time.

"Who is he then? If he is not one of yours?"

"Trust me. You do not want to know. Now stay here." Erin instructed as she dug her gun out of her pocket. Hayley's eyes grew wide as Erin clicked the safety catch off th small handgun.

"What the?"

"Stay. Here. Understood." Erin snapped before slipping back into the supposed Safe House.

##################

"Ros?" Lucas stared at the still body of his wife. His heart was in his mouth as he moved towards her. The car alarms still screeched in the background but he couldn't hear them. His sole focus was on Ros. He knelt beside her as he brushed a strand of blonde hair away from her face.

"Look at me. Please Ros." He watched her chest for any sign she was breathing as he lifted a shaky hand to touch her neck. There had to be a pulse. He knew they were using up their quota of luck faster than ever but they couldn't end like this. With a shaky hand he touched her throat.

"Don't you do this. Don't you dare leave me like this." Lucas sniffed slightly, the lump in his throat almost suffocating him. He closed his eyes in relief. It was there. A pulse. Seconds later he heard a cough as Ros blinked.

"Christ."

"Ros."

"I really want these bastards." Ros mumbled as Lucas nodded. He couldn't help but smile as Ros raised a hand to her head. "You ok?"

"Me?" Lucas scoffed. "You were dead Ros."

"Again." Ros raised an eyebrow. "Making a habit of this dying lark." She pulled a hand away from her head and examined the blood she found there.

"Can you stand?"

"Since I was about ten months old."

"Ok." Lucas smiled, silently thanking whatever deity looked after spooks that his wife was there with him. Carefully he helped Ros to her feet just in time to see the police and bomb squad arrive.

########

"Beth!" Dimitri yelled as she took a corner in fifth gear. The blonde ignored him. Ruth was her friend, the only one who had any real time for her when she had first returned to the Grid after years in the private sector. Dimitri shook his head as he hung on for dear life.

"Erin doesn't request back up for no reason."

"I know." Dimitri nodded, aware that there was no way Beth was going to slow down. He silently wondered if Adam and Zaf were going to meet them at the safe house. It seemed the quiet analyst had more friends than she knew.

###################

Harry paced the office as he listened to an irate Home Secretary berate him for the lack of progress in the investigation. He shook his head and slammed the phone down on his desk just as Zoe walked in.

"Knock!"

"Sorry."

"What is it?" He turned to face the younger woman. "Zoe? What is it?" He felt his heart go cold as Zoe tucked her hair behind her ear.

"Erin called in a request for back up."

"And?"

"Her and Ruth were seperated. She's in the safe house with a man belived to have a gun. Hayley escaped and Erin chased her."

Harry stared at her as she spoke. For a moment Zoe wasn't sure she was getting through to her boss.

"Harry. Someone has taken Ruth hostage."

"Get the car. You stay here. Have Malcolm keep in contact with Erin. Calum!" Harry barked as he walked past her.

"Sir?" Calum knew not to argue when Harry was in full flow.

"Car. Now."

"What do I tell the others?" Zoe called.

"Find the bombs. If Dewi calls again. Tell him to piss off!" He entered the pods before Zoe could say another word.

######################

"You." Ruth stared at the nicotine stained man as he smirked.

"Hello."

"You said that."

"Ruth Evershed."

"Pearce." Ruth tried to think of anything that would stop the man in front of her pulling the trigger. She knew the fact she was now clearly pregnant would do nothing to deter him. It simply would not occur to him that by shooting her dead he was killing two people.

"You married?"

"Yes." Ruth tilted her head on one side. "What are you doing here? When we met you would never have been involved in any of this."

"You thought I was mad."

"No." Ruth shook her head. "I thought you were misgiuded. That you werea t risk of getting involvedin something you couldnt control."

"And you could?" He sneered at her. Ruth risked another tentative step.

"Honestly? Not all the time. I killed a man. It's something I did to get us out of there. He almost killed me. And you. Did you know he was a hitman? A french assasin sent to kill you. It was luck I was there." Ruth stared at him.

"You killed a man."

"Yes." Ruth knew the rest of the Grid could hear her. She prayed Harry had been called to a meeting at Whitehall. That he was locked in the Gents. Anything but know what was going on with her. "And it kills me everyday."

"The girl that was here."

"Yes?" Ruth stared at her. "She knew me. I told her my name was Harry and she let me in."

"Kids trust."

"Yes." An evil sneer crossed his face. Ruth froze, her hand outstretched to take the gun. She was vaguely aware of tyres screeching outside and muffled voices.

"Keith, please."She bit her bottom lip as her eyes filled with tears. "This isn't you. How are you involved in this?"

"It's right, what I am doing. It is."

"Scaring a teenage girl? She's just a kid." Ruth frowned. "Killing a pregnant woman? How is that right? In what world is any of this right?"

"In your world." He clicked the safety catch off. Ruth's eyes widened. "In the world you live in."

"No, it isn't." Ruth stared at her advisory. "Do you know Damion Scott? Also known as Damion Lloyd? Sophia Harrison? Tessa Philips." She stopped as she realised he had recognised at least one name on the list. "Oh Keith. Not Tessa. Not you too."

"It is right that I stop you. That I stop the girl from telling you."

"She has told my collegues everything. You're too late."

"NO!"

Ruth froze. She knew the man in front of her was dangerously close to loosing the plot. The gun wavered in his hand as Ruth took a deep breath.

"In my world good people get dragged into things they shouldn't be. In my world I live in the shadows, reading and analysing things you could never imagine. You think when you close your eyes the death of the man that would have killed us both is the worst thing you have seen?"

"It is." Keith was on the verge of tears.

"I wish I could say it is." Ruth held his gaze. "I see so much more. I see things and read thing s your imaginiation could never concoct. I've read reports of what Damion and Tessa set out to do. I sat next to my friend as she recovered from a poison that Sophia's husband injected her with. I've watched my husband shot at in the street while a good friend lay bleeding. I've ran from one country to the next not knowing if my son was safe. That's just the things I can tell you about. You don't want to know what my nightmares are about." She rested her hand on the gun as she gently pushed the gun towards the floor. "If you did you'd never sleep again." Keith was openly crying as Ruth took the gun and threw it to the centre of the room. "Tessa and her croanies are using you. What can a child do to you? What can they do to Rising Sun eh?" Ruth hugged him as he sobbed into her shoulder. Seconds later Dimitri barged in with Erin as Beth stayed outside to watch Hayley.

"Ruth." Dimitri stared at his friend as she shook her head silently.

"Look after him." She nodded towards Keith as she stood. "Mr Durey is as much a victim in this as Hayley."

"Harry's outside." Erin smiled slightly as she picked up the disguarded gun. Ruth smiled slightly before wiping her eyes and silenltly stepping out of the room.

###################################

"Bloody Hell Ros." Tariq stated as she walked back onto the Grid.

The Section Chief waved a hand as Adam walked towards her. Several computer monitors showed different images of the city as Malcolm tried to keep track of what was going on.

"Ruth?"

"I think." Malcolm smiled as Zaf leant against Ruth's abandoned desk. "She did it."

################

Harry threw the car into the side of the road not caring if he was actually parked or if the 4x4 blocking half the street. He could see Beth holding onto an hysterical teenager and frowned. There was no sign of his wife but the feed from Malcolm had dried up. It seemed no one bar Ruth knew what was going on inside the house. He left Calum in the passenger seat as he stormed towards the teenager and the blonde. Beth shook her head. Harry felt as if he had been punchedin the stomach. There was no way he could breathe. He reached the teenager as the door to the house snapped open. Ruth met his gaze and smiled. Both Beth and Hayley slipped away towards the car as Calum opened the back door.

"Ruth." Harry smiled slightly as she walked towards him. Before she could reply she was in his arms. It was over, for now at least.

########################

A/N more soon.


	21. Chapter 21

**Diclaimer not mine. **

**In these arms.**

Harry closed his eyes as Ruth rested her head on his shoulder. He wasn't really sure who was shaking, him or Ruth but he knew he never wanted to let her out of his arms again. Ruth kissed his neck quickly and was about to pull back as gunfire exploded through the air. Harry tightened his hold on her, convinced that something has gone wrong he couldn't shake the thought it could have been Ruth laying on the floor with a bullet hole in her. Ruth froze.

"No." She sighed. Harry loosened his hold on her to allow her to turn slightly. His hand remained on the small of her back.

"Dimitri and Erin are ok." He silently thanked a God he had long since stopped believeing in. Erin shook her head sadly while Dimitri walked across towards him. He swallowed hard as Ruth bit her lower lip.

"I'm sorry."

"What happened?"

"Deery grabbed Erin."

"What!" Ruth's eyes immediately flickered across to her friend who was now talking quietly to Calum and Beth. Hayley sat in the back of Erin's car crying quietly.

"She picked up his gun. He dived for her. I couldn't stop him." Dimitri shook his head. "He grabbed it off her, punched her to the ground and the gun went off."

"He hit Erin?" Harry looked over to the Senior Case Officer. Calum was tilting her head back and examining her swollen cheek. He could see Erin was clearly annoyed and Calum looked as though he was about to burst a blood vessel. He turned his attention back to Dimitri as Ruth blinked back her tears.

"He was never like this." Ruth sighed, stepping away from Harry. "When he first crossed our paths he wasn't like this."

"He was never the most stable man." Harry spoke quietly. He knew Ruth still had nightmares about the French assasin and blamed herself for Deery's subsequent breakdown. He had lost count of the times he had woken convinced she had died at the hand of the madman in the older man's appartment.

"Not once he met us." Ruth bit her lip. There was no way she was going to cry in front of the rest of the team. Harry swore as his mobile phone rang.

"Tariq, make it quick and to the point." He snapped as Erin walked back to the couple and her friend.

"Beth and Cal are taking Erin back to Thames House."

"Good." Ruth nodded, her eyes on Harry as he listened to what Tariq had to say. Briefly she wondered where the rest of the team were. All she knew was Ros and Lucas had gone quiet and Adam and Zaf had headed across London. Now she wanted to know everyone was safe.

"Zaf has gone to get Sayeed." Erin continued. "I'm going to meet Adam at Picadilly Circus. Dimitri? Order a clean up team."

"Clean up." Ruth shook her head sadly and walked towards Harry's 4x4 wondering what sort of world she was bringing her daughter into.

#####################

Lucas walked into the kitchenette needing to clear his head. His ears still rang from the second explosion and the image of Ros laying motionless next to him wouldn't leave him. He switched the kettle on and prayed that he could have a couple of minutes peace before he had to face Malcolm's questions, Tariq never ending supply of redbull or Zoe's intense staring at computer screens.

"Hey." He froze as he realised he wasn't alone in the kitchen.

"Coffee?"

"No thanks. Not exactly going to sleep tonight at this rate without caffeine. Adam has gone to meet Erin."

"Ok."

"Lucas."

"Ros." He closed his eyes as he felt her wrap her arms around his waist from behind. She kissed his shoulder blade before resting her head against his back.

"I know." She sighed. "Too many memories."

"I saw you laying next to me. I saw you not moving." He paused. "I was convinced you were dead."

"I'm glad you were wrong." Ros smiled slightly as she felt his hands cover hers. The kettle whistled as he turned in her arms and touched her face gently brushing a strand of blonde hair behind her ears.

"Me too." He whispered as he kissed her gently. Ros wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss as her back hit the closed kitcheette door. Lucas pulled back slowly as she caught her breath.

"Do not scare me like that."

"Dunno." Ros teased. "If that's the response I get when you realise I'm not dead, I might try it more often." She fell silent as Lucas closed his eyes. Suddenly she realised how scared her husband had been. Her hands cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing over the stubble that was begining to form there.

"Ros."

"I am not going anywhere. Not while you, Amy and James need me. Is that understood?"

Lucas smiled. Her tone of voice completely incongruinous to what her body language was screaming.

"You may be around for a while in that case." He smiled before kissing her palm. Ros nodded before allowing him to step away and leave the room. Coffee long forgotten.

################

Beth sat next to Hayley as Calum drove in silence. His mobile phone on the dashboard of the car. Beth kept her eye on the wingmirror convinced they were being followed. Hayley dried her eyes as Calum pulled the car into the busy main road that would take them back to Thames House. He narrowed his eyes as he realised Beth's worst fear had been confirmed.

"Hayley?"

"Yeah?"

"You are wearing a seatbelt?" Calum asked. Beth glanced towards her friend before checking her own.

"Yeah."

"Good." He pushed his foot to the accelerator. Beth shook her head knowing that somewhere the chase was being picked up on CCTV. The question was, did anyone back at Thames House know?

##########################

"Ros?" Malcolm glanced up. "I've been doing a little work."

"Glad to hear it." Ros marched over to her old friend. "And?"

"And it seems that if we were to cross reference the safe house where Hayley has been saying with the information we already have on Mr Deery and properties owned by the Mace family."

"He's dead but this comes back to him." Ros narrowed her eyes.

"What do I always say?" Tariq spoke up.

"That you don't get enough pocket money. Keep your eyes on the work Geekboy." Ros smiled slightly as Tariq rolled his eyes. Zoe shook her head.

"Where are you going?" Ros hadn't taken her eyes off the information Malcolm was showing her. Zoe paused, her jacket half fastened.

"A contact of mine has contacted me. She needs to talk."

"Lucas go with her."

"I'm fine on my own."

"Ok." Ros nodded. "In that case I'm going with her. Lucas, keep trying to get hold of Harry."

"Ok." Lucas and Malcolm exchanged glances. It was well known that Ros considered Zoe to be a little bit of a liability in the field. She was second only to Ruth to ending up in trouble. The only time she didn't seem to mess up was when Adam was with her.

"As I was saying." Malcolm tried as Ros walked over to her desk to retrieve her leather jacket.

"Go on Malcolm." Lucas tried again.

"The money comes back to the estate of the late Oliver Mace."

"Late?" Tariq asked. "Dead more like."

"Indeed."

"So?"

"The man left a considerable amount of money to Tessa Philips Co."

"She opened a security firm when she left here." Zoe explaind. "Tom told me."

"What is it today?" Ros snapped. "Can't the dead just stay sodding dead?"

"Thankfully not." Lucas met her eye as the rest of the team fell silent. The pod doors whoshed open to allow Harry and Ruth to enter. Zoe narrowed her eyes, Ruth looked as though she had seen a ghost. Harry glanced at her before turning to Lucas.

"Lucas, get what you can on Tessa in the next five minutes. I think it's time you and I put her out of her misery." Ros rolled her eyes as Luca glanced at the floor. She felt sorry for Tessa in that moment. Harry Pearce was back in full flow.

####################

A/N Next time Harry verses Tessa. What did Deery know and why have Adam and Erin gone to Picadilly Circus. Dewi and Henry may pop up and poor Stan finds a whole lot more than he intended. Please review. This story has really taken on a life of its own!


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer not mine**

**Old friends, new enemies?**

Zaf drove the small pool car through the city centre aware that the young man in the passenger seat was not going to be happy until they had got to Thames House. He knew there was a very good change Cal and Beth had got Hayley back to the Grid. He pushed his foot to the accelerator knowing there was no point in trying to get the young man to talk.

####################

Adam tugged on the collar of his jacket, pulling it closer to stop the rain from running down his neck. He had no real idea why Erin had been so offish with him on the phone earlier but he knew it had something to do with Beth and Ruth. He looked across the street to see the brunette in question dodge traffic and head towards him.

"Erin." He nodded.

"Hi." She brushed a strand of wet hair out of her eyes.

"You ok?" Adam nodded towards the bruise on the side of her face. The red mark she had noticed in the mirror earlier had now developed into a nasty purple bruise that she knew she was going to have to explain to Rosie and her mother. She wasn't looking forward to that conversation in the least. Adam frowned as he examined the mark. His stomach turned at the thought someone else on his team attracted trouble the way Ros and Ruth seemed to. If he hadn't known better he would have assumed both women had violent homelives. The clouds emptying themselves over London was doing nothing to improve his mood.

"Yeah. Deery hit me with the side of his gun just before he blew his head off." She pulled a face as Adam shook his head.

"He's dead?"

"Yeah. Held Ruth hostage for a while." Erin dipped her head and shoved her hands in her pockets as she walked alongside the former Section Chief.

"Shit."

"Yeah, that's what I said. He terrified Hayley. Managed to get himself into one of our safe houses."

"Not good." Adam didn't even try to hide the anger.

"No." Erin agreed. "No, it isn't." Adam stopped walking before nodding towards Erin. "What are we doing here?"

"Finding out where the money went." Adam smiled as he held the door open for her.

#################################

Ruth stared at the computer screen. She had spent the last hour trying to analyse the information Malcolm and Zoe had found while she had been out with Erin. The information just wouldn't get in her head as she tried to force the image of Keith Deery out of her mind. The man's eyes had seemed to burn through her until they were inprinted on her mind. The sound of the gunshot still made her feel sick. Shaking her head she looked away from the screen to see Tariq approaching her.

"You ok?" Tariq smiled.

"Yeah." Ruth lied. "Just tired."

"Harry asked me to listen in to him and Lucas talking to T.T." He watched as she raised an eyebrow.

"Who?" Ruth had a fair idea who the baby of the team was talking about.

"Teflon Tessa." Tariq stared at her as the colour drained from Ruth's face.

"Right." Ruth nodded once before nodding once and turning her attention back to the computer screen.

"Are you going to go through the transcripts or do you want Zoe to do it?"

"I'm the analyst." She snapped as Tariq's eyes widened. "Anyway, Zoe is still out with Ros."

"Yeah but."

"And we can't wait for her to come home just because I m not feeling so good."

"You said you were ok." Tariq protested as Alec coughed.

"Ah so young." He laughed "And yet so inexperienced."

"What?" Ruth smirked as Tariq looked on in disgust. She did her best to ignore the boys and the nagging feeling of doubt building in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't shake the bad feeling she had about the teenager currently ensconsed in the Forgery Suite with Beth or the woman in the interview rooms below Thames House.

"Tariq, my son." Alec crossed the Grid towards them. Ruth turned back to the analysis, determined to get a grip on the information in front of her. "When a woman. And I mean any woman of whatever age and in whatever relationship to you says she is ok there is a very real chance she isn't."

"Eh?"

"He does not compute." Calum laughed as Tariq narrowed his eyes. Ruth rolled her eyes before picking up the headphones ready to listen to Lucas and Harry.

################################

Harry scraped the chair across the interview room floor as Lucas pressed record on the small tape recorder in the room.

"The time is 14:46 June 14th. 2012." Lucas started.

"Oh how quaint." Tessa glared.

"Tessa." Harry glared.

"Those present are Section Head. Sir Harry Pearce, Senior Case Officer Lucas North and interviewee Tessa Phillips." Adam finished. "Right, Tessa. Talk to me."

"I have nothing to say to you." Tessa leant back in her seat and smiled meekly. Harry balled his hands into fists, trying desperately to keep his temper. There was still a bomb somewhere in London and he knew that if he lost his temper he was never going to get the information he so desperately needed. Lucas could sense his boss was already close to breaking point.

"Tessa." He started, aware that Harry was nearing the end of his already short fuse. "You admit you knew Sophia Harrison."

"Yes." Tessa nodded. "Last I knew, being aware of someone's existance was not illegal."

"No." Harry nodded. "It isn't. What is illegal is absconding from custody and buggering off God knows where when there is a warrent out for not only your arrest but that of a certain partner of yours. I am assuming you know which one I mean."

"Oh Harry. People in glass houses." She smirked as Harry narrowed her eyes. "You should be pleased. Didn't Jools save your life?"

"Where is he?"

"Dunno." Tessa folded her arms and smiled slightly, the very image of calm. Lucas held her gaze, aware that Tessa and Harry could go around in circles for hours. He knew he was there purely because of his edict memory.

"Tessa, how did you know Damion Scott aka Damion Lloyd, Sophia Harrison and her husband?"

"Oh here we go." Tessa smirked. "Big bad Tessa at it again. If you must know Sophia was a psychopath. Married to another psychopath and having an affair with a man with more money than sense." Tessa laughed. "Quite sad really."

"For young Hayley. She's lost the only parent she had."

"Oh Lucas. My heart bleeds." Tessa laughed. "Oh and how are your children and the lovely Rosalind."

"None of your concern." Harry interjected. He knew Ruth and Tariq were upstairs listening to the whole conversation. He knew there was a very real chance Ruth was reading more into the conversation than Tessa had intended.

"Really? Considering I had my lover try to kill her along with your wife." Tessa laughed as Harry got to his feet. The chair tumbled backward and hit the floor with a bang as Lucas barely stopped Harry from shoving the desk out of the way.

"Don't rise to it." Lucas almost whispered. He knew there was no way Harry would ever raise a hand to a woman but Tessa had always been different. She smiled sweetly.

"Oh hit a nerve? You've been sat there for what? Ten? Fifteen minutes and yet you can't even see what I am telling you. Harry. I expected better."

Harry glared at her, barely able to control the urge to reach across the table and strangle the former Section Head. He shook his head as the door to the Interview Room opened to reveal Stan standing in the doorway, slightly in front of Ruth.

"Sir." The larger than life security guard nodded towards Harry.

"Interview suspended." Lucas barked before reaching across and turning the tape recorder off. Tessa rolled her eyes.

"Stan? You still working here?" Stan ignored her.

"You is needed on the Grid. I think you're lady here." He nodded to Ruth who had stayed in the corridor at his insistance caught Harry's eye. "Needs a word."

"Right." Harry straightened his tie before leaving Tessa with Stan and Lucas in the Interview Room.

##############################

"Bloody Hell." Zoe ran a hand through her soaking wet hair. "It's a monsoon."

"Don't exagerate." Ros snapped as they walked through the lanes behind Oxford Street. The cardboard boxes, dog faeces and litter made negotiating the narrow lanes a little precarious. Ros seemed to manage it a little more gracefully than her junior officer. Zoe narrowed her eyes, wondering if Ros was always so cold or if she made a special effort for work.

"He's there." Zoe nodded towards the man a few feet ahead of them sheltering in the doorway of a shop.

"Jimmy." Zoe smiled slightly. The skinny, heavily tatooed man looked up.

"Zara." He nodded. The cigarette in his hand was thrown to join the rest of the rubbish in the lane. Ros narrowed her eyes.

"This is my boss." Zoe nodded towards Ros. "Rachel."

"Alright." He nodded at Ros who just narrowed her eyes. "Or maybe not."

"Jim. You asked to see me." Zoe reminded him.

"Yeah. Yeah. Look," He glanced down the lane. "It's just I got to be careful. You know?"

"Jim. It's pissing down with rain. My son has colik and my six year old is currently not sleeping well. I'm knackered, soaked to the skin and highly pissed off. Please just tell me what you called to tell me."

"Alright." He shook his head, droplets of rain splattered everywhere. Ros glared, she was aware her Ice Queen routine was intimidating the scrawny man in front of her but she ahd a feeling her Amy would have scared the man if she was in the right mood.

"That school teacher you've been looking for."

"Yeah?" Zoe glanced at Ros.

"Have you tried Glasgow? He's got a sister, Joan who married a Scotsman."

"Yeah." Ros glared at him. "And?"

"And bloody Hell. You're MI5 I'm just saying what I know."

"Which isn't much." Ros glared at him. "Details. You are paid for details."

##################################

Zaf pulled the car into the underground carpark at Thames House and killed the engine. One glance at the young boy in the passenger seat was all he needed to confirm his suspicians. The boy was asleep. He smiled slightly before shaking his head and opening the car door. The cacophany that greated him forced him to slam the door shut, start the engine and drive out of the car park. He knew he had to contact his team.

######################

"Ruth?" Harry walked alongside his wife as they headed back to the Grid.

"Dewi called. Two men arrested in Cardiff within the last hour."

"Good."

"Harry they planted the trigger on a child. Amir Hussain is fourteen years old."

"Oh my God." Harry shook his head as he thought of the child unwittenly caught up in an adult war. Ruth stopped suddenly and stared at him. He knew she was angry as Hell and equally terrified.

"Harry." She rested one hand on her baby bump. "Beth and Calum are with Hayley in the Forgery Suite. Malcolm is using your codes to evacuate Thames House." Harry's eyes narrowed as the fire alarms sounded.

"Beth has locked the Forgery Suite. Hayley has a trigger. She didn't know it but she has the trigger."

##############################

A/N More soon.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer not mine**

**Alarm?**

"Ruth." Harry stared at her for a second. The alarms were almost deafening as the sound of feet on staircases and security guards arranging secure transfer of prisoners could be heard all around them.

"Beth and Calum are with Hayley."

"I see." Harry closed his eyes for a moment. He had the distinct feeling he was about to loose two of his officers and a young witness and there was nothing he could do about it. "I love you but there are times when I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Dewi called. Two suspects are being moved to New Scotland Yard."

"Yes." Harry walked alongside her. "And a teenage boy?"

"He was just a victim. It seemed to me that Tessa and her friends like to use youngsters but they didn't count on the fact that one of Dewi's team would be in the Mosque for Friday prayers with the youngboy and his family." She carried on explaining what was happening as Harry ushered her towards the entrance. Lucas jogged behind them.

"The watch?"

"Yes." Ruth sighed. "His watch. I was just telling Harry the boy had only got it back from the jewellers that day. His mother had paid for it to be repaired and resized. It had been his grandfathers."

"And Hayley always wears a silver ring on her right hand." Lucas interjected. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Ruth nodded once they were leaving the building. She looked up at the windows of Thames House, terrified that her friends were trapped. Tears filled her eyes as she thought of the young girl who had been used in such an awful way.

"Her father." Harry narrowed his eyes. "Her own father."

"Extremist beliefs lead to extremist actions." Lucas sighed. Harry turned to face him. One raised eyebrow said it all. Lucas may have been forgiven for the folly and mistakes of his youth, the name change and the secrets but they hadn't been forgotten.

"Indeed." Harry ushered the pair across the road towards where the others were waiting for them.

"Any news?" Malcolm walked towards them, the rain soaking them to their skin. "Tessa?"

"Being transferred to the secure holding cells at Picadilly. I am not having her anywhere near the blokes Dewi arrested. Any news from in there?" Harry watched as Malcolm visibly paled.

"Tariq has gone back in. With Dimitri. I tried to stop them. Beth has locked the door to the Forgery Suite. There is no way they can be of any use."

"Oh my God." Ruth closed her eyes as she rested a hand on her baby bump. Harry swore, noticing the Home Secretary and the DG driving towards them.

"Funny how he keeps warm and dry." Lucas hissed. Malcolm shook his head before turning away from the corrupt politician they just couldn't seem to get rid of. "When is the next cabinet reshuffle?"

"Who knows?" Malcolm smiled slightly, glad that Lucas was at least trying to lighten the situation. Ruth narrowed her eyes.

"Not soon enough."

#########################

"My Dad." Hayley swallowed hard. "He wouldn't."

"Hayley, keep still." Calum held her hand in his. "We need to get this ring off."

"Cut my finger off if you have to." Hayley was as white as a sheet. Beth swore loudly before shaking her head.

"No. It wont come to that. I told you Calum here is the best at what he does."

"Bomb disposal is really Tariq's forte." Calum hissed. "Keep still."

"Sorry." Hayley did her best to stop shaking. Beth bit her lip as she heard voices outside the room.

"I thought you pulled the fire alarm." Beth crossed the room and rested her hand on the door. "I can hear Dimitri out there."

"Shit." Hayley sighed. "We can't. This ring is a bit small on me. It doesn't come off."

"BETH!" She closed her eyes as she heard Tariq call her name.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Beth yelled though the locked door. "GO NOW!"

"The silver ring Hayley is wearing." Tariq yelled. "It is not silver. It has a stone in it that acts as a detonator for a bomb the other side of the city. That is if it works the same way as the trigger the welsh kid was carrying."

"There was someone else?" Hayley's eyes widened. "But."

"We stopped it." Dimitri called. "And we'll stop this one too. Listen to Tariq, there isn't much time left."

###############################

Ros picked up her mobile phone while Zoe drove back towards Thames House. She was desperate to get back onto the Grid to talk to Ruth. She had to tell her what she and Zoe had found, then there was the possibility that someone would have to go to Scotland to retrieve the errant Headmaster. Part of her hoped it would be her that got to make the trip. She wanted to see the look on his face when he was confronted with her, alive and well.

"Adam? Any progress?" She hissed into the phone.

#############################

Adam looked out of the car window, glad that Erin had brought her car with her. He hadn't relished getting back to Thames House on the Tube. He hated it at the best of times but when he wanted it was a good way to get lost in the crowd.

"Ros." He answered the phone while Zoe drove on. "We now know where the money went from the school."

"Good." Ros sighed. "Scotland come into the conversation?"

"What? No." Adam glanced at Erin who was currently getting swamped in traffic and hating every second. She swore as a Bomb Disposal Unit drove past them.

"That is heading in our direction." Erin nodded to the police vehicle overtaking them. Cars in front paused to let the van pass. Erin shook her head.

"Ros." Adam leant forward in his seat, trying to get a better view of where the van was heading. "Have you spoken to Harry?"

####################

"Hayley." Calum spoke so calmly the teenager began to calm down. "Listen to me."

"I am."

"Calum." Beth stared at her friend.

"I can't do this." Calum held the teenager's gaze. "I can't get the stone out of the ring without setting off a bomb on the other side of the city."

Beth turned to face the door. Both hands resting on it, she knew Dimitri was on the other side; that he had heard everything Calum had just said.

"Dim?"

"I'm here." She smiled as she heard his voice.

"You have to find the bomb that is triggered by this. You have to get the others to find it and diffuse it. If we damage the ring on Hayley's finger it will blow."

"Shit."

"Pretty much what I said."

############################

"Home Secretary." Harry glared at the older man, aware Towers hadn't taken his eyes off Ruth since the car had pulled up. Lucas handed her the phone, grateful for a way to distract the woman from Towers' unwanted attentions. Everyone on the Grid knew what the Home Secretary thought of Ruth. The fact Harry could barely keep his temper when the older man was anywhere near Ruth. The fact that Ruth was now very clearly pregnant did nothing to stop him.

"Harry. Problem?"

"Nothing my team can't deal with."

"Good." Towers smirked. Ruth walked away, talking to Ruth as they carried on behind her. The rain plastered her hair to her face as she listened.

"Anything I can do?"

"No." Harry snapped. He refrained from telling him to leave and keep out of their business.

"Harry." The DG raised an eyebrow. "Keep me informed. I expect your report as soon as this mess is finished."

"Yes Sir." Harry took a deep breath and watched the black Mercedes drive off.

"Harry." Ruth practically ran back to the three men as Tariq arrived and tried to catch his breath.

"Bomb is somewhere in this area. That trigger in Cardiff could only actvate a bomb within the city. There is no way they could activate anything further away. I am assuming that was the blueprint for the one we're dealing with."

"So what's the radius?" Lucas tugged his leather jacket nearer.

"Can't be more than 5-10 miles." Malcolm shook his head. "The car. If I may?" He indicated the laptop under his arm. Harry smiled slightly, it was the first time he had noticed the small computer had been rescued from the Grid.

"Come on." Harry ushered the wet spooks towards the car park. Lucas shook his head.

"I'll get on the road. Dimitri? With me. Let us know when you have an idea of the location." He jogged away followed by the ex SBS man.

#################################

"This is stupid." Hayley sighed. "My Dad was insane but he wouldn't risk killing me."

"Extremist people have very warped views on the world. Don't ask me because I'll never understand how people can hurt people they apparently love." Calum smiled slightly. "Now turn your hand over."

###################################

"Parliament Square." Zoe rolled her eyes. "Not exactly original."

"True." Ros checked her gun as Zoe took a corner in forth gear. She could see Erin and Adam had already arrived. The rain had soaked the ground, turning what wasn't concrete into a mudbath. Zaf was still notable by his abscense. Something that wasn't lost on Zoe. She parked the car, slammed the door and jogged towards Adam and the new girl.

"Zaf?" She met Adam's eye.

"Back in Wandsworth with Sayeed. It seems that they were followed on the way to Thames House so he disappeared once he saw the chaos erupting. You know the score Zo, you have to protect the mark."

"Yeah." Zoe sighed. The whole area more or less abandoned by the general public due to the weather. Ros looked around the deserted area. Adam stepped away answering his phone, aware that Thames House was within spitting distance of where they were stood. He waited while he heard Ruth explain what had happened back at the Grid.

###################

Ruth shivered slightly in the car next to Harry while they listened to Malcolm explain what he had found. The small computer was lodged between the front seat of the car. A myriad of numbers flew across the screen before the image cleared into a map of Central London. Harry leant forward and turned the heating in the car up so that the three of them didn't die of hypothermia listening to Malcolm's explanation. He touched Ruth's hand and almost recolied as he felt just how cold she was. For a moment her eyes met his and he almost forgot Malcolm was there.

"Do you think?" She started just before the whole car shook violently. The three of them ducked as the windows oppostite car blew outwards. Ruth gasped and covered her mouth too shocked to let the tears fall. Malcolm fell silent while Harry gripped Ruth's hand. His worst nightmare had just happened and he had no idea how the team were going to recover.

"They'll pay for this." Harry whispered.

"Beth. Calum." Ruth turned to face her husband. "Hayley's just a child. Was."

"We don't know what happened." Malcolm stated calmly. Ruth nodded as Harry opened the door and walked towards the source of the explosion.

"They'll pay for this."

##############################

A/N Will they? Is Harry right? What has happened to Calum and the girls? Probably two or three chapters left. Please let me know what you think. I know reviewers are loosing interest but reviews do make the writing quicker and better.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer not mine

Rolling in the Deep.

Dimitri blinked as he looked towards the source of the explosion. He could hear Adam swearing next to him but it didn't register. He knew where the explosion had come from and he knew who was trapped in the building. Nothing else would make sense. Calum and Beth had failed. Now his girlfriend, friend and the young woman they had come to save had all died.

"Dimitri." Ros snapped, making him turn to face her.

"Yes."

"We don't know anything. Not yet." Her eyes met his, she understood exactly what he was feeling. There were times she had to keep on despite the fact she had no idea if her husband was alive or dead.

"I."

"Dimitri." She stepped towards him. "Listen to me. You don't know anything about that explosion. If it is something to do with us Harry or Ruth would call. Now the only thing we can do to help Beth and Calum is our jobs."

"Yes Ma'am." Dimitri said on impulse. Ros rolled her eyes as Adam and Lucas smirked. She had the feeling she was never going to get the young naval man out of the habit of calling her Ma'am when he was stressed, howver much she hated it. She mumbled something about her not being the sodding Queen.

"Right then." Adam frowned as Erin pushed her soaking wet hair out of her face. "I dunno about you but I plan on putting my kids to bed tonight."

"Yeah." Zoe nodded, walking towards him. "Five mile radius according to Malcolm."

"We split up." Ros decided. "Five mile radius of Thames House. Until we get a definate location. We assume Hayley is alive and we assume that trigger is still active until we have confirmation of anything else. Adam, you and Erin head north. Lucas and Zoe towards Tower Bridge and Dimitri with me."

######################

"Harry." Ruth stepped closer to him. The shattered glass from the fifth floor window sprayed the street. She was only grateful that most of the other sections seemed to be out of the building for the time being. The DG had long since headed towards Whitehall and taken the Home Secretary with him, something she was infinately grateful for.

"The Bomb Squad are heading in."

"About time." Ruth turned to see Alec stood in the doorway of the shop behind her. The rain seemed to have soaked him as much as the rest of them.

"That you turned up?" Harry raised an eyebrow. "Where the Hell have you been?"

"Following a lead." Alec smiled slightly at Ruth. "They are not dead. You know that. Calum and the girls."

"I hope you are right." Ruth sighed.

"That girl has got nine lives." He smiled.

"This lead?" Harry glared at the former IA man. Ruth sighed heavily, aware Malcolm had crossed the road to try to speak to one of the Bomb Squad officers.

"Talked to an informant of mine. Lucy. She reckons our man is in Scotland."

"That's what Ros said." Ruth agreed. "But if we have an independant witness."

"Yeah." Alec agreed. "I need to get to Scotland. Flush him out."

"Why you?" Harry barked at him.

"I'm ex Internal Affairs." Alec reasoned. "And I live with Juliet Shaw, can you imagine anyone better qualified to be undercover up there. Plus I can put on a Glaswegian accent, even my mother would have trouble disbeliving."

"Right." Harry made a decision. "You do not go alone. Before you go I'd like to ascertain what, if anything has happened to the Grid and my officers. You do not leave London until you are given clearance."

"And I can persuade the Glasgow police to ignore your presence."

"Thanks Ruth." Alec kissed her cheek, causing her to blush and Harry to glare. Alec smiled and shook his head as Malcolm walked towards them.

"Harry?"

"Yes."

"The Constable over there." Malcolm pointed towards a slim woman with red hair. "Says that the explosion only blew the window out because it was directed towards it. Seems Calum got the ring off Hayley's finger and threw it at the window."

"They're alive?" Ruth rested a hand on her tummy as Malcolm smiled.

"It seems so."

###############

"Whoa!" Calum shook his head and coughed as the air began to clear. "That was."

"A bloody miracle." Beth lay on her back staring at the ceiling. Her ribs burned and she was sure she was goingn to have a headache for at least the rest of the day. She couldn't help but smile as she realised all three of them were still alive. Hayley rubbed her hand.

"What?"

"You ok, Kid?" Calum pushed himself into a sitting position.

"Do not call me Kid." Hayley snapped. "Yeah. I think so."

"How's your hand." Beth coughed between each word.

"Sore. But thankfully I still seem to have all my fingers." She smiled while flexing her fingers in front of her face. "Why?"

"Why did I put the ring in an upturned bin pointed at the window? Makes a Hell of a noise and those people out there who would like to see us dead can believe that if they think the explosion was bigger than it was. Its all lights and mirrors my love."

"Yeah." Beth smiled "What I was going to ask is why did Miss Northey."

"Beth." Beth corrected.

"Sorry. Why did you have a tube of that stuff in your bag?" Calum burst out laughing as Beth flushed a deeper shade of red than even she thought possible. Hayley raised an eyebrow as Calum held his already sore ribs until his giggles died down.

####################

The rain had begun to subside by the time Ros parked the car a few feet away from the Eros Statue. She had no idea why it was of any significance but the unsolved car bombs had been near tourist attractions. She also knew the bomb found in Wales had been near the Senydd.

"Ros?" Dimitri got out the car and walked around to her as she folded her arms against the wind and rain.

"You ok?" Ros didn't normally ask but she couldn't have anyone jepodise what they were doing. If he wasn't up to the job he had to walk away from it. When she had thought Adam had died she had nearly done the same. When Zaf had been missing presumed dead she had only kept going for Jo.

"No."

"Can you do this?"

"Yes."

"Right." Ros nodded towards the statue. "Let's get this done." She walked away from him and began dodging cars. Dimitri paused to answer his phone, without looking at the caller display.

"Beth."

#########################

"Shit." Adam knelt down to stare at the small black box in front of him. Zoe's eyes widened as she saw what he was looking at.

"We have to defuse that." She spoke so quietly Adam was sure he had only imagined her speaking.

"Yes." He looked at the timer. He pulled out his phone and took a picture before texting it to Malcolm. Seconds later his phone bleeped.

"What does he say?"

"Trigger gone. All alive. This is an old fashioned deviise favoured by the former Northen Ireland extremists."

"Oh great." Zoe closed her eyes for a moment. Almost certain that she was never going to see Zaf or her children again.

"Apparently we are to cut the blue wire if it is on the left or the yellow if it is on the right." Adam fished in his pocket for his penknife. Zoe raised an eyebrow.

"And what if there is no blue wire?"

"Ah."

#######################

Beth ran a hand through her soot covered hair as she left Thames House. The Bomb Squad were still inside,trying their best to make the building safe. She closed her eyes and swore when she saw Alec smirk at her from across the street.

"Ruth." She hugged the older woman. "I."

"You ok?" Ruth held her friend at arms length as the petite blonde nodded.

"Hospital. Get checked out." Harry stated. Beth opened her mouth to argue when Harry held her gaze. "Same goes for Calum. I can't have anyone here unable to do theor job. You know the procedure Miss Bailey." She sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing when Harry used her surname in the same way her old head teacher had done.

"Please." Ruth sighed. "For Dimitri. Alec will go with you. Hayley needs to be checked over too." The teenager stared at Ruth while trying desperately to hide the fact her hand was hurting like Hell.

"Ok." Beth sighed. "Ok."

Calum turned to face Thames House as Harry slipped his hand in Ruth's, the adrenaline ebbing away leaving him exhausted. He closed his eyes as he remembered a time in a corridor with Ruth years earlier. He still cursed himself for going on about adrenaline withdrawal when all he wanted to do was kiss her senseless.

"Harry?" Ruth turned to look at him.

"Just thinking." He ran his eyes over her face, aware that she could read him like a book.

"I don't want to ask, do I?"

"Alec wants to go to Scotland. If Harrison is there then we need to intercept him."

"When I get back in there." Ruth nodded towards the entrance of Thames House. "I can do a little digging, find an address for his sister."

Harry knew what her 'little digging' would involve. Not for the first time he wondered whether the DVLA, police and half the localised databases in the country would ever notice her little fishing trips into the information they held.

"I can't send him alone."

"Who will you send?" Ruth looked directly at him.

"I don't know." He sighed, before running a hand along his face. "I should send Lucas or Adam. They are my two senior case officers. Dimitri, Beth and Zoe are too junior. Zaf is tied up with Sayeed and Erin is a single parent. If anything happened to her."

"You."

"Are going soft. I blame you." He squeezed her hand.

"Why not Lucas?"

"I don't like the idea of him being alone in the field. Alec needs someone to keep him in line. I don't think Lucas can do that."

"So?" Ruth knew better than to question his reasoning on sending Lucas so far from home. She knew he still wasn't sure if he could trust the younger man in the field.

"Ros. I'll have to send Ros."

#######################################

A/N Dimitri and Beth reunion next time. Harry and Ros have a chat and Ruth finds more than she bargained for. Please review. Oh and thanks for all the reviews so far xx


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer not mine.**

**Haggis?**

The night was unseasonably cold as Ros stood staring out over the London skyline. She knew Harry had given them all permission to leave but she had to make sure she was in the right frame of mind before she collected Amy and James from Carrie and Adam's house. She sighed heavily before hangning her head over the railings to watch the cars hundreds of meters below, the headlights and streetlights making the city look like one of Tariq's computer games.

"Ros." She immediately straightened up when she heard her superior call her name. "I thought I told you to go home."

"You did." Ros nodded but did not turn to face him. "Harry."

"Why am I sending you to Scotland with Alec? Because you are the best person for the job." Ros nodded. She didn't want to appear big headed but she knew he was right.

"I was going to say any news on Calum and Beth?"

"Yes." Harry smirked slightly, knowing she was not going to ask that; at least not straight away.

"Well?" Ros turned to face him, her blonde hair blown across her face.

"Beth had a slight concussion. Dimitri has gone to collect her. Calum has minor burns to his hands that are going to need dressing daily."

"So he's off active service. What about the child?"

"Hayley." Harry raised an eyebrow. He knew she was trying to disassociate herself from the case. "Shaken. Her finger is broken but the doctor seems to think she's ok. I had her moved to the same safe house Sayeed is in. Zoe and Adam are taking her there now."

"One of ours? Harry, Deery attacked the girl and Ruth in one of our safehouses."

"I am aware of that." Harry's voice was dangerously low. "It's one of 6's. Only I know it's location."

"Right." Ros closed her eyes. "Why Scotland? And don't give me that crap that you are sending the best. If that was the case Alec wouldn't be my partner in crime." Harry looked away. "You know you should be sending one of the case officers. Lucas or Adam."

"I am sending you."

"You don't trust Lucas." Ros stated accurately. Harry sighed.

"It isn't that."

"Yes it is."

"You know I have to send someone. Tell me Ros, do you trust him? I'm not talking about as his wife. As his senior officer."

"Harry."

"Please Ros. I need to know. All that stuff with Vaughn, Albany."

"I know." Ros nodded. The fact her husband had changed his name and hadn't told her until he had been forced into it still knawed away at the back of her mind. She knew Lucas was the man she had grown to love but John Bateman was a stranger. The fact of the matter was they were just alias' for the same man.

"Well?"

"He's grown up alot." She stared at the cars below. "I trust him as part of Section D as much as I trust him at home. He isn't stupid enough to do anything that would jepodise his place in the team. He knows how much his lies almost cost him. And did cost him."

"I booked a flight for you both at six am."

"Wouldn't it be quicker for me to drive?" Ros turned, glad that the conversation was back on a more professional level.

"Probably but it seems Alistair Harris wants to meet you first. Apparently he doesn't like rougue English agents on his soil."

"Oh my God." Ros rolled her eyes. "It's officer and this is not some low budget production of Braveheart."

Harry laughed before turning and heading towards the door. Ros followed him with her eyes.

"True. Oh how do you feel about being Godmother?" He didn't look back to see the look of utter shock on his Section Chief's face.

######################

Ruth closed her eyes as she listened to Nick and Catherine bickering in the background. Graham had wisely stated he was taking Terri to look at a new flat a few streets away, meaning the couple were out of the firing line for a few hours. She was supposedly helping him with his Geography homework but it was begining to sound more like the start of World War Three. Sighing heavily she rested a hand on her swollen abdomen and tried to blockout the heated discussion going on over Nick's coursework.

"Nico Pearce." She smiled, still amazed that the adoption had gone so smoothly. "You would swear you really were Harry's."

"Mum!" Nick appeared in the doorway. "You'll know this."

"I didn't like Geography at school."

"Moved onto English. Got an essay on William Shakespear. Merchant of Venice. Catherine says it's crap."

"It isn't the Bard's best." Ruth opened her eyes. "Shylock's Speach to Antonio?"

"See. I knew you'd know." Rut smiled slightly before pushing all thoughts of Scotland and teenage informants out of her mind. She glanced at the clock hoping Harry wouldn't be much longer before turning her attention to the GCSE English course work currently driving Nick mad.

######################

"Och aye." Alec raised an eyebrow as Ros stared at him.

"Alec."

"Aye lassy."

"You call me that again and the next accent you'll be mastering will be that of the native Syberian." Ros narrowed her eyes as Alec tried and failed not to laugh.

"Whatever you want there, but we have to fit in." He carried on trying his best to annoy Ros. Malcolm raised an eyebrow as he watched the pair.

"Your legends."

"Oh joy." Ros sighed. Adam watched the pair and laughed. He had a feeling Lucas had got the easy job. Being around Alec when he was in this mood was like being around a five year old Wes when he had been given fizzy pop and blue smarties. Ros remained as stoic as ever but Adam could tell she was just on the verge of becoing homicidal.

"Aye, well my wee Daddy was from Aberdeen so whatever you have."

"Please tell me his legend is a man with mutism." Ros watched as Malcolm's lips twitched in a bid to hide his smile.

"You are Rose Wilson, Alec you are Hamish White."

"Hamish?" Ros smiled.

"Well, he said he could carry off a convincing Scottish accent. I decided to go with a convincing Scottish name."

"Right." Alec dropped the accent.

"Banker and his business parter from London. You are there to complete a business deal with Gregor StJohn. That is the real name of your MI5 liasion. Play nicely." He turned his attention to Ros.

"Oh I am not playing." Ros took the paperwork from her friend. "I've had enough of this case. It's dragged on too long. It's time it was put to bed."

"Be careful." Adam approached the pair as he spoke.

"Aren't I always?" Ros smirked slightly as Alec burst out laughing.

#######################

"Careful." Lucas rested a hand on Dimitri's shoulder. They knew the pair of MI5 officers were still in A&E and the wait was begining to get on the younger man's nerves. Erin walked towards them looking as though she had seen a ghost.

"Well?" Adam stared at her.

"Calum is having another X ray on his hand but should be fine to go home after that. I swear he has nine lives." She shook her head as she hugged herself.

"You ok?" Lucas watched as the brunette nodded. He could see she was clearly unwell but knew, like all the other women in the section there was no way she would admit it. The bruising around her neck looked more and more prominant in the fluoresecent hospital lighting.

"Yeah." She smiled wanely. "I'm fine."

"Good because having nine lives only counts in the field. Someone seriously needs to remind Calum he is a desk spook."

"Never stopped Ruth or Malcolm getting into trouble." Dimitri smiled slightly as the door to the waiting room opened. Beth smiled at him. He held her gaze just longer than was comfortable before letting him hug her.

"Oi, careful Sailor Boy."

"Oh sorry." He pulled back to see her smiling.

"Broken the odd rib."

"In your case, very odd." Lucas teased, earning him a look that Ros would be proud of. "Message from Harry. You and Calum are off duty until tomorrow. I'm off until 9 am, same for Dimitri and Erin. Apparently we need to have some rest before we collapse. Zoe's on early finish too, along with Tariq and Ruth so I suggest we all go home nad get some sleep."

"Best idea you've had in years." Beth winked as Lucas rolled his eyes. He had a feeling the blonde that had practically stalked him to get a job in Section D was going to be just fine.

#########################

"Zaf?" Zoe placed a now sleeping Daniel back in his crib while Emma curled up on the sofa to watch her latest iCarly dvd. Zaf yawned and looked towards his fiance.

"You ok?"

"Yeah." Zoe sighed. "What will happen to Hayley and Sayeed? After all this?"

"Sayeed will probably go back to his family. I know Harry knows his father. Hayley, well she's a strong kid. Look at what happened today. And now she's back with her boyfriend so we don't have to worry about two safehouses. Your friend Jimmy was er helpful?"

"I thought Ros was going to kill him." Zoe spoke quietly, hoping her daughter didn't hear. Zaf smiled, he knew Ros and Zoe didn't always see eye to eye.

"I like Ros." Emma announced. "She told me Amy watches Tweenies with her." She frowned as Zaf burst out laughing. It seemed his best friend had lost her Ice Queen image in seconds. He dreaded to think what would happen if any of the people she had arrested knew her viewing habits.

######################

"So." Ruth sat next to Nick as she looked over his essay. "Portia was not that interested in Antonio because he was just a merchant. You should rephrase that."

"Why? She wasn't."

"She was aloof, stilted when he was present. It sounds better." Ruth smiled as Nick huffed. Her mobile rang just before he could answer her.

"Hi." She smiled when she realised who the caller was.

"Ros and Alec are on their way. I just left them at Luton Airport." Harry walked along the rainsoaked car park as he spoke.

"Ok." Ruth left the kitchen and wandered into the living room. "I can head back to the Grid, be there when they check in. Ros knows I arranged B&B for them while they are there?"

"I gave Ros all the details. I think Alec is looking forward to being in the field again." Ruth smiled as she heard him open the car door. She would know the sound of the 4x4's engine starting anywhere. She could sense Harry smiling when he thought of the former IA man and his friend.

"Good."

"I asked Ros to be the baby's godmother. I thought her, Zaf and Malcolm?"

"Ok." Ruth smiled as the baby kicked, apparently in agreement. She closed her eyes as her daughter began to play football with her internal organs. "It's only one night. Do you think they'll be ok?"

"Honestly?" Harry asked as he started the engine. "Ros will be fine. There is nothing we can do until they make contact. Get some rest. I'll be home soon."

#############################

A/N More soon. Alec and Ros reach Glasgow, Erin faces her mum and Tessa finally gets her jsut deserts. Or does she? The truth about Hayley's father and the demon headmaster is revealed. You may want to skip it; as we find out how much Ros really does remember about her time with Harrison. As always please review.


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer not mine. Some references to violence in this chapter. Please skip this if offended. Ros is begining to remember what happened to her with Harrison when her and Ruth were kidnapped. Please do not read if offended. I tried to keep this to a very strong T rather than upping it to a higher rating.**

**Bonny Scotland?**

Ros stared out at the Scottish skyline as she tried not to think about her conversation with Harry on the roof top of Thames House. She knew he was right about Lucas. For a long time she had barely been able to look him in the eye. She didn't really understand why Harry hadn't thrown him out of Thames House there and then but she supposed it had been misplaced guilt over Lucas' incarceration in a Russian prison that had stopped him. Now they knew Tom and Connie were really the ones responsible for that.

"Penny for them?" Alec tilted his head as Ros closed her eyes. He had been quiet long enough for her to almost forget he was there.

"Be quiet."

"Ros, if there is something."

"If you must know I was just thinking I'm glad Harry got us on an earlier flight. Now if you want us to get back to London in one piece I suggest you stick to the legends Malcolm put together for us." She narrowed her eyes as he looked away, unable to maintain eyecontact at such an intensely cold stare.

"So that's why?"

"Explain."

"You're known as the Ice Queen."

"Ice Queen?" Ros laughed. She had known about her nickname for years. "Trust me. You aint seen nothing yet." She smirked at his surprise to her not being in the least bit offended at her reaction. "Now, come on. Sooner we pick up the Demon Headmaster the better.

#################

Harry walked back onto the Grid as Ruth buried her face in the stack of files on her desk. Malcolm seemed focused on his work while Tariq returned from the kitchenette carrying yet another can of Red Bull. The rest of Section D were conspicious by their absence.

"Harry." Malcolm got to his feet just as Harry reached his desk.

"Yes?"

"Ros called in. She and Alec arrived in Glasgow thirty minutes ago."

"Good."

"She hasn't killed him then?" Tariq sounded genuinely surprised. Ruth couldn't help but bit back the smile that threatened to break out across her lips. Harry caught her eye and raised an eyebrow.

"Apparently not." Malcolm didn't see the exchange between Harry and Ruth. Tariq rolled his eyes.

"Anyway." Ruth spoke up. "How was Whitehall? Did Towers sanction it?" Harry shook his head before glancing at the destroyed door of the forgery suite with the boarded up windows from Calum's sowboating with bomb disposal.

"No."

"Ah."

"No, it seems that whatever happens with this case. Whatever Ros and Alec come up with in Scotland we are essentially on our own. He wont sanction any more financial support ofr counter terrorism. Fool of a man."

"What about the Olympics?" Tariq asked innocently.

Ruth wrinkled her nose and shook her head as Tariq spoke. The young spook had no idea just how touchy a subject the Games was at the moment. The last thing Ruth wanted was another lecture on exactly how the Powers that Be had no idea what a security risk they were, especially after the Jubilee celebrations were organised.

"I'm in my office. I expect updates." He walked away as Malcolm and Tariq exchanged glances.

################

Adam sat outside a small Internet cafe in South London. Zaf had been talking to his contact for the last ten minutes while Adam waited. He closed his eyes and tried to analyse the case. As far as he could see there had been at least two bombs found and neutralised. France also seemed to be more than capable of deaking with the threat. That just left Ireland and Scotland. He opened his eyes as Talk Sport announced a major terror threat had been dealt with by Irish Police and Special Branch.

"You took your time." Adam started the engine. Zaf shrugged his shoulders before opening his can of pop.

"Debbie had alot to tell me."

"Such as?"

"Everything Calum found on the memory stick was right."

"So it all comes back to Tessa?" Adam pulled the car out in to the main traffic. "It always comes back to her."

"Yeah." Zaf agreed, he was begining to get sick of the woman's shadow hanging over them. "Nothing sticks though."

"I think it will. This time." Adam glared at the road ahead as Zaf fell silent.

########################

"Gregor." Ros held out a hand as the wiry Scotsman assessed her. He had no idea Harry would have told her his legend or that he would be dealing with the second in command of the anti terrorism section. He shook her hand while cooly appraising her.

"Rose. Hamish, please take a seat."

Ros did as she was asked, all the while appraising the man in front of her. He was the least likely MI 5 officer she had ever seen in her life. It was clear he had spent more years behind a desk than Harry and also clear that the man was nervous.

"You know why we are here." Alec started.

"I do, aye." Gregor nodded. "Harrison is a man with a rather dodgy past. Seems he has a link to Scotland. I'd appreciate it if you kept his removal from here quiet." He held Ros' gaze as a sly smile graced her lips. Alec raised an eyebrow at the exchange. Although he had been the one to ask the question it had been Ros the older man had answered.

"Discretion is what we do." Ros assured him. "Now I need to know where his sister lives and what hold he has on you."

"Me?"

"Well, you haven't been exactly forthcoming with your intel. Now you are as nervous as a church mouse in a cattery." Alec leant forward as Ros remained unnervingly quiet. "You my friend are hiding something."

"Oh my Lord. Does Harry Pearce know of this nonsense you are spouting?" Gregor got to his feet at the same time Ros did.

"He trusts my judgenment. Now be a good boy. Sit down and tell us everything you have on our friend and I'll see that you are demoted to filing clerk rather than hounded out the service for not having the balls to admit you are being blackmailed." Ros smiled sweetly.

######################

Lucas sat outside Erin's house as she jogged down the steps towards the car. The new girl looked upset as she got in the car next to Lucas.

"You ok?"

"Yeah." Erin lied. Her cheek burned like Hell and the bruised area around her neck ached. But it was her mother's words that had really hurt. She closed her eyes as Lucas drove away from her home.

"What is it? I'm married to Ros. There is no point in telling me you are fine when you clearly are not."

"I was just thinking about Rosie's dad. Calum's brother, Matt."

"I know who he was. Everyone knows Calum is your brother in law." Erin nodded.

"Well let's just say telling Mum what I do, all those years ago was probably not the best idea I ever had. She signed the Act, before you say anything else." Lucas shrugged his shoulders. He knew that Erin and her mother were close.

"So? Jo's mother knew what she did, too. Sometimes it is necessary to tell the truth."

"I know." Erin blinked back the tears. "She just reminded me that Rosie could have been orphaned when Deery tried to grab me and if it wasn't for Dimitri I would be dead."

"He has his uses then." Lucas teased.

"Yeah. But she's right." Erin closed her eyes. "I could be dead. Matt's gone, what would happen to my little girl? What if next time I'm not so lucky?"

"That's the trick." Lucas sighed. "You make sure it isn't down to luck."

###########################

"Harry." Ruth stormed into Harry's office and closed the door behind her. The voices of Beth and the others filing the Grid were muffled by the closed door but it was enough to remind him that they were in the middle of an active case.

"What is it?" Harry stood up and crossed the office towards her.

"Lucas and Erin called in. They are going to interview an old associate of Harrison's."

"Ok." Harry held her gaze for a moment. "And?"

"Alec called. They have an address for Harrison. They should be able to pick him up and get back to us tonight."

"Good." Harry smiled slightly. "Like to see Tessa get out of this one."

"That's just it. Even Tariq calls her Teflon Tessa now." Ruth bit her bottom lip. "Look, I have done some digging on her and Harrison. It seems they met via an introducton by Scott."

"Makes sense." Harry frowned as Ruth looked away. "Ruth." She sighed as he said her name.

"I did some digging into his history. We always knew he was violent, but this." She handed Harry the file she had printed out. "It's sick. He is more than a violent man. How on earth he got to be in charge of a school I will never know. We know he poisoned Ros."

"She said she had no memory of that. The report she gave in stated she remembered Beth leaving the office and then you being there when she woke up." Harry had a feeling she had been lying or least trying to protect herself and others from the truth. Now that Ruth was stood in front of him he began to sense what he was thinking was not as bad as what the truth was.

"And I've sent her after him." He closed his eyes as Ruth touched his arm.

"Harry, he met Sophia in Cyprus. He was on the run even then. He was wanted on charges of assault, attempted murder and robbery back in Chicago. He had run to Cyprus to save himself, changing his name in the process. That's why we didn't know about this until now. I should have found it sooner. I'm sorry." Ruth looked at the floor.

"This is not your fault." Harry tilted her chin to look her in the eye. Ruth sighed but before he could speak he kissed her gently. "Not your fault, now find everything we have on his criminal record. Just don't let the cousins know we are chasing someone they want."

####################

"Excuse me." Alec bumped into the man walking in front of him as Ros stepped out in front. For a moment her eyes locked with the larger man. Her heart rate began to speed up as something, a flash of a memory hit her. Alec pushed the guy into the alleyway, unaware that Ros wasn't with him. For a moment she was back in the school, his body blocking her escape. She could feel the needle pierce her skin as her body tensed. His stale breath in her face.

"Ros!" Alec called as the man struggled. It was then she realised she was shaking. She cursed herself before turning and running down the alleyway. The bruises on her legs forgotten as she threw herself to her knees beside Alec. Harrison continued to struggle in Alec's grip as Ros leant close to his ear.

"Remember me?" She grabbed his bicep and held on as Alec dragged the now clearly shocked man to his feet. "Because guess what? I'm not dead. And I remember everything."

Alec's eyes grew wide as he saw the look of pure contempt cross Harrison's face as Ros spoke. She looked him directly in the eyes, the same way she had done in the moments after he had sent Beth away. Alec had a feeling he was missing something but had no idea what.

"Ma'am." He nodded to Ros, glad that using her title seemed to unsettle the former school head more than anything he had said so far.

"Home." Ros spoke, her voice dangerously low. Alec nodded as he manhandled the now placid man towards the car. She leant against the wall and closed her eyes, trying not to remember. She fought the urge to vomit as she pushed the memories of his hands on her to the back of her mind.

"Ros?" Alec called as he opened the car door. "What?"

"Get in the car." Ros walked out of the alley way, the epitomy of professionalism, the cool Ice Queen facade was back in place. She was never going to let any of her colleagues or the man in the back of the car with Aelc know of the gutwrenching fear that was currently coursing through her veins. "We came here to collect him. Now lets just see what the man has to say for himself." She sat in the driver seat and started the engine hoping that she would be back in London before nightfall and that Lucas would be there to meet her.

###########################

A/N Please review.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer I do not own Spooks.**

**Drive.**

Tariq stared at the computer screen in front of him as the little icons that marked out Ros and Alec moved slowly across the screen. The bottom left hand corner told him his colleagues were in the centre of Glasgow, heading for the way back to England. Smiling slightly he watched as Ruth moved towards him.

"Why are you smiling?" Ruth rested a hand on her growing belly as she spoke.

"Ros and Alec. On the way home."

"You're certain?" Zoe raised an eyebrow as she watched the pair.

"As I can be."

"Good." Ruth rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'll let Lucas and Harry know."

"What about Juliet?" Zoe asked. Ruth's eyes never left the computer screen.

"What about her?"

################

Ros drove in silence as Alec sat in the back seat. The man next to him hadn't said a word since Alec had bundled him into the back of the black 4x4 they had hired. She glanced in the mirror once, happy that the man had trouble making eye contact with her but sick to her stomach that she was in the same space as him, breathing the same air.

"Boss." Alec smirked as he watched the look in Harrison's eye change. He had clearly assumed Ros was the junior officer, not the section chief.

"What?" Ros kept her words clipped and to the point. The last thing she needed was their charge realising how she felt about him. Memories of the time between being poisoned in his office and waking up next to a terrified but angry Ruth kept coming to her mind. She still wasn't sure what was real and what was her mind playing tricks on her. Narrowing her eyes she wondered if Jo had gone through the same thing in the wake of Boscard's attack on her.

"The flight?"

"He is not going on public transport."

"Yes, Ma'am." Alec announced. For once, Ros didn't mind the use of her title. It just served to unnerve her suspect all the more which wasn't a bad thing as far as she could tell.

####################

Harry slammed the phone down on his desk. He knew his blood pressure was probably dangerously high but he couldn't bring himself to care. Dealing with politicians was always going to be a nightmare as far as he was concerned. He glared at the now silent phone as if it was the source of every problem he had ever encountered.

"Harry?" Ruth walked in and headed towards him as he looked up.

"What is it?"

"Are you alright?" Ruth frowned slightly.

"William Towers may yet give me a heart attack." Harry smiled wryly as Ruth raised an eyebrow.

"Not funny."

"Sorry."

"Tariq has found Ros and Alec on the CCTV. Looks as though they are headed towards the motorway to bring them home. A third person is in the car. I am assuming it's him." She watched as Harry narrowed his eyes. He hated the thought of Ros stuck in a confined space with the man they knew had poisoned as much as Ruth did. He met her gaze for a moment as she sucked in a lungful of air.

"Ruth?"

"Your daughter is just practising for Man Utd again." She smiled slightly as Harry rested a hand on her abdomen.

"So I see. Be gentle with your mum in there young lady." Ruth rolled her eyes as Harry spoke to her baby bump.

"If Towers could see you now."

"Stuff him." Harry mumbled grumpily. "It's you that I am worried about. And this case. Any news on Lucas?"

"No." Ruth narrowed her eyes. "Erin and Adam are on the way back. Beth and Dimitri are with Malcolm and Calum working on something and Tariq is keeping track of Ros and Alec. Zoe is on the Grid and Zaf has gone to see an asset."

"Intelligence used to be so much easier." Harry sighed. "In my day."

"It's still your day, you haven't exactly retired." Ruth watched as he nodded. "You sound like Henry Parks."

"Oh God, now I am worried." He looked up as the Grod doors whooshed open to allow Lucas to enter. The younger man looked terrified as he glanced at Ros' empty desk before jogging towards Tariq.

"That answers one question." Ruth touched Harry's arm. "Ros will be alright."

"I hope so."

"If she isn't then we're here for her. I said it once, and I'll tell you again please don't even consider Tring. She needs to be where she is needed. Where her friends and family are. She's got us, she has Lucas and the children so please."

"No Tring." Harry nodded. "Whatever she has done over the years. There is no way on Earth I'd subject her to that. But then again I may need to be admitted if this afternoon doesn't go well."

"Harry?" Ruth frowned as he met her eye before looking away.

"It's time to charge or release Tessa."

###################

Adam jogged back to the car where Erin was already waiting for him. He knew that the new girl was still reluctant to talk about what had happened between her and her mother but he could tell she was still deeply upset by what had happened. He knew his mother would have reacted in the same way, but at least he reasoned as an ex spook Eleanor Carter knew what the dangers of her job was. It wasn't like Erin's family set up. Fiona had understood and faced the same dangers herself while Carrie had walked into a relationship with him with her eyes wide open. The fact she was still with him and had their daughter amazed him even now. He opened the car door and sat down as Erin started the engine.

"Anything?"

"Yeah." Adam smiled. "Need to get this to Ruth to see if it is any use though."

"Right then." Erin sighed as she put the car into gear. "Ruth to the rescue."

################

Harry left Ruth standing in the doorway of the office as he walked towards Lucas and Tariq. It was clear the older man was worried but Tariq could do nothing to calm him down. The moment he had learnt that Ros was with Harrison he had begun to panic.

"Harry." Tariq looked visibly relieved to see his boss. "I just told Lucas we know they are on the way back to England."

"Yes." Harry agreed. "Lucas, you and me." He motioned for the field officer to follow him. Tariq glanced at Ruth as she shrugged her shoulders. She had no idea what her husband was plotting this time but she was certain Tessa was going to find out soon enough. She watched as Lucas followed Harry out of the pods without another word.

################

"Ros." Alec spoke for the first time in over an hour. The man next to him unnervingly quiet as Ros kept her eyes on the road ahead. "Do you want me to drive?"

"No."

"Ok." Alec sighed before catching her eye in the mirror. For the first time since he had known her he was certain he had seen the mask slip, if only for a second. Ros Myers was scared and that frightened him more than anything he had seen since his return to the service. He glared at the man next to him wondering how a woman like Tessa Philips ever met a man like him and how he had managed to find his way into the position he had. It seemed Harrison was more frightening than he looked. Not for the first time he wondered whether Ros really did not remember what had happened to her or whether she was just trying to protect herself and the others from the harsh reality of what had happened.

##############

"What is going on?" Lucas asked for the first time as Harry pressed the button for the lift to reach the fifth floor.

"In case you hadn't noticed we are in the middle of a terrorist threat." Harry explained with more patience than he felt. Lucas barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

"Harry."

"You and I are going to pay Tessa a visit. It's time she was formally charged."

"We have enough for that?"

"Yes."

Lucas nodded as he walked next to his boss. He knew there was a history between Tessa and Harry but he really didn't think it was all that friendly, even in their younger days. He daren't question him further as he heard the raised voices coming from the next corridor. Harry frowned.

"Stan?" Lucas broke into a run as he heard the unmistakable sound of his old friend arguing with another man. Harry jogged behind Lucas, cursing his injured knee as he followed him.

"Stan!" Harry barked as the friendly Jamacian security guard stood his ground. His considerable bulk hid the man he was arguing with for a moment.

"An' I do not care who you is saying you are!" Stan ignored Harry and Lucas. "I am the only person who as the access to this cell block. You go through me and NOONE else."

"He's right." Lucas used his best charm smile as he approached the man.

"I ain't got no clue how 'e got 'is sorry arse in 'ere but I am getting 'im out!" Stan barked, suddenly aware he wasn't alone. "He tells me 'e wans to talk to Tessa Philips. Not gonna 'appen."

"No. It is not." Harry narrowed his eyes. Lucas and Stan both registered the dangerously low tone to his voice. Harry was not going to put up with another distraction when it came to Tessa. "Stan, escort Ms Philips to the interview as I asked."

"She's in there, Sir." Stan narrowed his eyes, his hands on his hips.

"Good." Harry paused for a moment, suddenly aware of heels tapping on the tiled floor of the corridor. He cursed under his breath as he realised the man in front of him had a knife. The blade pointed directly at Stan.

"What is this about? C'mon. There is no need for this." Lucas took one step back, hoping to block the path of the woman behind him. He had a sickening feeling it was the one spook that attracted danger the same way flowers attracted bees.

"Tessa." The thin man stated. "She is."

"Isn't she always?" Harry looked at the man as he suddenly realised who he was talking to. "I thought we'd seen the last of you. Don't tell me you've been in the background all along? After everything that happened with your parents?"

"She sent Jools to stop my father killing you! YOU killed my mother!"

"No." Ruth snapped. "He didn't kill Elena."

Harry felt himself freeze as he heard his wife. He knew Ruth would only be there if she had information about the case.

"Ruth, go back to the Grid. NOW!"

"Sacha needs to know." Ruth stepped forward, the adrenaline coursing through her veins. Harry turned slightly to face her. "Tariq followed the money." She nodded towards the younger man as he felt Harry's eyes on her. "You did not kill either of his parents."

"He did!" The younger man lunged forward as Lucas stepped in front of Ruth. "He turned my mother and my father died trying to right the wrongs she did to him and Russia because of this."

"So?" Harry barked. "You give Tessa their money so she can start a bloody war! Because thats what this would have done. Start a race war, here in London."

"Better than in Russia!" Sacha yelled as he pushed past Harry towards Ruth. Stan hit the security alarms as Sacha pushed past Harry towards the woman that had finally found the evidence that outlined the older woman's trechary and his involvement with it.

"You helped Damion Scott get the money together, your father knew Harrison from his days in America and Tessa would sell her soul to the highest bidder." Ruth explained as the colour drained from Harry's face. Lucas grabbed Sacha by the shoulders as a seering pain shot through him. Harry pushed the younger man away before punching him in the face while Ruth caught Lucas just as he fell to the floor. It was then that Ruth saw the blood stained knife on the floor.

###########################

A/N is Lucas ok? Will Sacha be able to tell Harry and the others the truth? How did Tessa drag him into all this? What will happen to Ros and Alec and can the rest of the team survive this? I promise there isn't much more left. Is the introduction of Sacha too much? If so I'll go back and edit him out. Please review.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer I do not own Spooks

Fate?

Ruth sank to her knees as Lucas failed to keep his weight off her. The bloodied knife just a few feet from where he lay. Ruth cradled him in her arms as she heard Harry call for an ambulance while Stan dragged the now semi concussed Sasha away from the scene.

"Lucas." Ruth held him to her as she spoke, the sight of his blood staining her hands made her feel sick. "I've been stabbed. It's nothing, stop this nonsense."

"Sssorry." Lucas chocked out the words as a thin trail of blood trickled along his face as blood oozed through the white shirt he wore. Ruth glanced up at Harry as he gave the ambulance information on Lucas' condition. He shook his head slightly before turning away to listen to the woman on the other end of the phone.

"Yes." Harry risked a glance at the younger man. "Ruth? Is he?"

"Still breathing?" Ruth finished his sentance for him. "Barely."

"Barely." Harry replied before handing the phone to Stan. "Talk to them, Ruth keep Lucas talking."

"Really? I hadn't thought of that." Ruth snapped before turning back to Lucas who suddenly winced as he felt Harry cover Ruth's hand and press hard.

"Things don't end like this Lucas." Harry barked at him. Ruth knew the force behind his words was more related to his fear than any anger he had towards the younger man.

"Ros?" Lucas chocked out his wife's name as Ruth nodded, tears already clouding her eyes.

"On her way. Harry's right. You and her. You don't end like this. Amy and James need their dad." Ruth watched as his eyes fluttered closed.

"LUCAS!" Harry barked as he watched the young man begin to shake slightly in Ruth's arms. Stan swore before running off in search of any sign of the paramedics.

"Cold." Lucas mumbled as he began to breathe heavily. Ruth blinked back tears as she hugged him tighter in her arms.

"Tough luck Lucas, it's always cold down here. Someone should talk to the boss about the air conditioning." She flashed Harry a slight smile as her husband raised an eyebrow.

"Where the Hell are the paramedics?" Harry barked as he saw the door at the end of the corridor open. Ruth's head snapped round to see where he was looking.

"It's ok Lucas, they're here. It's ok." She brushed a strand of black hair away from his impossibly pale face as a woman all dressed in green leant next to her.

"This Lucas?" The curly haired woman asked. Ruth nodded.

"Yeah." She let Harry pull her to her feet as the paramedics began their work.

"Any allergies? Anything we need to know?"

"Apart from the fact a psychopathic idiot just stabbed him in the chest?" Harry snapped as he pulled Ruth to him.

"Apart from that." The woman was clearly taking no nonsense as she pushed a cannula through his skin and hooked up an IV drip while her colleage fitted an oxygen mask to his face.

"Penicillin." Malcolm stated as he joined them, clearly distressed. "Harry, Stan called it up to the Grid. I took the liberty. He's allergic to penicillin and had asthma as a young boy. No medication now."

"He was prescribed.." Harry started but Malcolm shook his head.

"Never changed the prescription. You know what he's like. Him and Ros are too similar. Zaf is trying to reach her now but neither her or Alec are answering the phone."

##################

Ros glanced at the small phone on the dashboard of the 4x4 as it rang for what felt like the hundredth time since they had joined on the motorway. She heard Alec swear under his breath as the phone continued to ring.

"That ringtone."

"What's the matter with it?" Ros knew her choice of Megadeath as a ringtone probably wasn't in keeping with what Alec and most of the others thought of her.

"Nothing." Alec smirked at her raised eyebrow. Seconds later his started ringing. The man next to him remained silent, having taking the 'right to remain silent' part of his caution literally. "It's Adam."

Ros nodded. It had been Zaf's name that had sprung up on her screen. Then Erin's, then Malcom's had been twice. It seemed the only people who weren't trying to get in touch with her was Harry and her husband. Something felt wrong, she just didn't know what. Pulling into the hard shoulder she pointed the car towards the service station determined to find out what was wrong without having Harrison in the back eavesdropping.

#################

"This can't be happening." Beth closed her eyes as she leant against her desk. She felt sick when she thought of Lucas currently being transported to A&E after being attacked in Thames House.

"I know." Calum shook his head as he tried not to think about how to tell Ros or who was going to have to tell her. "It's the kids that gets me. I remember when Erin had to tell Rosie that Matt.."

"Lucas is not going to die." Tariq stated calmly.

"You don't know that." Calum countered as Erin pushed her dark hair away from her face.

"No, none of us know that. Last I heard only one of us had an up to date first aid certificate and that was Ruth. Now you lot better stop tempting fate. This is Lucas. Our Lucas."

"Yeah, that's the point." Dimitri stared at his desk. "Our Lucas, he recruited me."

"And me." Beth smiled sadly.

"No, you bullied him into talking to Harry for you." Dimitri smiled slightly as Tariq raised an eyebrow. The team fell silent as Malcolm walked in.

"How?"

"He's in a bad way." Malcolm suppressed a sigh. "I'd say a very bad way. Ruth has gone with him. Harry is following her in the car. I'll keep trying Ros. He asked if you, Adam and Zaf could deal with Sasha and maybe Zoe and Dimitri could formally charge Tessa?"

"Of course." Adam got to his feet. He knew that in Harry and Ros' absense he was the most senior field officer there. "You heard him."

"But, shouldn't someone more senior than us process Tessa?" Zoe got to her feet, clearly not relishing the thought of spending any more time with the former spook.

"No." Adam smiled encouragingly at her. "A former deep cover agent and an ex special forces officer sound perfect to me. Beth?"

"Yes?" The blonde looked as though she was on the verge of tears.

"Go through the financial records with Tariq. We are to miss nothing. Ruth can analyse anything you find when she gets back." Adam watched as the team set about the jobs he had given them. Only Calum seemed at a loss. Zaf raised his eyebrows.

"You alright mate?" The techi shook his head.

"No."

"Calum?" Erin looked up.

"Bad people have a habit of wanting to kill us. Beginning to get on my nerves now."

Ern smiled sadly as she caught his eye. She knew as well as he did what Ros would be feeling once Malcolm broke the news. Somewhere in the Grid a phone rang unanswered. Zoe swore when they realised it was coming from Lucas' desk.

######################

"Slow down." Ros leant against the car as Alec lit up a cigarette. She was trying to get Malcolm to slow down and explain what was wrong. It seemed her old friend was having trouble finding the right words. She shot a death glare at Alec who just shrugged his shoulders before giving in and getting rid of the cigarette mumbling something about how she was as bad as Juliet. She closed her eyes as she realised Malcolm was deeply upset by something that had happened. Her first thought was that something had happened to either Sarah or Harry. Then his words began to sink in.

"Lucas?" The way her voice broke on the word caused Alec to look directly at her. The suspect, still sat in the car began to move, causing Alec to thumb the roof of the car.

"Ros?" Alec's voice softened as he watched the woman he had previously thought of as an Ice Queen tried not to crumble in front of him. The only indication anything was wrong was the way her knuckles turned white as she held the phone to her ear. "What is it?"

She ignored him before thanking Malcolm for telling her and ending the call.

"Sasha Gavrik just tried to murder my husband to protect Tessa." She stared out over the car park as she spoke. Alec swore profusely as Ros remained stony faced.

"What now?"

"That." She indicated the man in the car. "Gets back to Thames House. Then I'm going to check on my kids before I go to the hospital."

"You ok?"

"My husband is in theatre with minimal chance of survival, my kids could be left without their dad and I am likely to be a widow by tonight; all because of that bitch? Oh I'm just tickety boo." Ros made to open the driver's side door but stopped when Alec rested a hand on her arm.

"You are in no fit state to drive."

"Alec."

"It's only another hour before we hit central London. You may have better news on Lucas by then. I wont get us killed. I haven't had a drink in weeks?"

"Weeks?"

"Not since I came back to D full time." Alec watched as she raised an eyebrow. "Honestly Ros, I'm clean and sober for the first time in years."

"I'm driving."

"Ros."

"I am not getting in the back of the car with _that." _She nodded towards Harrison. "Now, come on." She opened the car door as Alec sighed heavily.

"What did he do to you?" Alec asked quietly, not expecting her to be able to hear him.

"I don't know. That's the problem. I just don't know."

###########################

Ruth stared at the bare hospital wall in front of her, knowing that Harry was having no luck getting any information out of the woman on the reception desk. She closed her eyes as she thought about Amy and James, knowing what it was like to lose a parent at such a young age.

"Ruth." Harry ushered her into the family room. When she raised an eyebrow he smiled slightly. "Ros is on her way, until then Lucas' sister and her husband can wait in the relatives room."

"Mike?"

"Yeah." Harry sighed. "Handy having a friend who's a medic. Apparently, you and Lucas are brother and sister should anyone ask. God knows what relations will come out the woodwork should any of then others visit."

"Big family." Ruth sighed as Harry touched her cheek, pushing a strand of curly hair behind her ears.

"Ruth."

"I can still see his blood. On my hands." Ruth's voice cracked as Harry pulled her into his arms.

"Don't. Don't do this."

"If I had been two minutes later, if I had kept my mouth shut."

"No." Harry held her at arms length. "This is Tessa and Sasha's fault. This is Damion Scott and Harrison's fault. None of this is your fault." Ruth closed her eyes as he spoke.

"I can feel his blood on my hands." Ruth sighed as Harry held her. Her tears soaked his shirt as Harry buried his face in her hair, trying not to let the tears fall. He had no idea how long he had been there when he heard the door open.

"Harry?"

"Ros." Harry held her gaze for a moment as Ros took in the scene in front of her.

"No." She shook her head. "No." She turned and marched out the room as Mike blocked her path.

"No." Mike smiled. "It seems your husband isn't ready to say goodbye to this mortal coil quite yet."

"He's.."

"Very poorly but currently on his way to ITU. They repaired the hole in his liver and removed his spleen. He has a chest drain in where his lung collapsed but he's alive."

Ros closed her eyes in relief as she heard Harry thank a God she had long given up on. Ruth sniffed as Ros opened her eyes.

"Can I see him?." Ros asked as Mike nodded and ushered her out of the room.

#################

A/N Next time Ros and Lucas meet up and the team get to process everything that has happened to them. Not much more left. Please review.


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer not mine#**

**Just so you know, this is probably the hardest chapter I've written on this story. I have re written it at least three times. Still not sure I like it. Oh and this is the penultimate chapter.**

**Retribution?**

Ros marched along the corridor behind Mike, unable to think about anything else than the man in the room ahead of her. She knew what ITU involved but it still seemed so alien to her. Mike paused as they reached the end of the corridor.

"Ros." He turned to face her but Ros refused to meet his eye. The last thing she needed was to see the sympathy there.

"Mike, I just want to see my husband."

"I know, but I feel I should prepare you for what Lucas may look like." Ros narrowed her eyes as she listened to him.

"He has a chest drain." Mike began. "The surgeon put a drain in the wound in his stomach to drain fluid away. There is a machine controlling his breathing, but all being well he wont be on that for very long."

"He's on a life suport machine. I get it." She stepped past Mike as he sighed heavily, he knew she had no real comprehension for just what Lucas and her still had to go through.

##########################

Harry marched towards the entrance to the Grid aware that the more junior members of the team had no idea what it was like to lose a colleague. Jo's death had been before the majority of the team had returned. Zoe, Dimitri, Beth, Erin and Calum hadn't been there when Jo had stepped in front of Ros' bullet or when Ben had got in Connie's way. Those that had been there still acutely felt the loss of the bubbly young blonde and he knew he would never forget the look in Zaf and Adam's eyes when they had returned to Section D only to find their friend had essentially killed herself. He knew Adam still blamed himself, as did Ros. He just hoped the team could hold things together should the worst happen to Lucas. He forced himself not to think about Amy and James growing up without a parent.

"Harry." He paused as he heard Adam approach. He schooled his face so that only those that really knew him would have any idea what was going on.

"I trust certain people have been dealt with in my absence."

"Tessa has been taken to a secure prison. Charged under just about every section of the Act." Adam watched as Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Aren't all prisons supposed to be secure?"

"You know what I mean. Sasha has confessed to his part in all this and is currently being assessed by psychaitrics." adam watched as Harry scoffed.

"Psychaitrists?"

"Apparently he is on medication for anxiety following Elena's death."

"Bloody Hell. Some of us should have been on that when she was alive." Harry scoffed before walking through the Pods. Malcolm and Tariq looked toward him as he stepped through the Pods. Adam shook his head slightly before jogging down the steps behind him. Harry marched over to Zaf who was staring at the computer screen.

"Zafar."

"Boss." Zaf looked up at him.

"Ruth is staying at the hospital with Ros."

"Ok."

"I think she'd appreciate a clean shirt. There's a denim one in the back, the only thing that will cover her in her current condition. I also think she and Ros could do with a friendly face." He watched as Zaf smiled slightly. "That isn't me."

"Ok." Zaf pushed his chair away from the desk. "What about Hayley and Sayeed?"

"They'll be ok." Harry smiled slightly. "If there is one thing I know about teenagers is that they are incredibly resiliant."

Zaf got to his feet and began gathering his things. He didn't hear Harry mutter that it was the older ones he worried about the most.

###################

"Lucas." Ros stared at the prone body of her husband. Mike had been right, there were tubes everywhere and she hated it. She sat beside his bed and touched his hand as she watched him for any signs that he was really there with her. "Lucas, come on. What the Hell do I tell the kids? You know Amy is going to have a million and one questions."

"Just like her Mum." Ros froze as she heard the familiar voice of her friend behind her.

"Ruth."

"Well, Amy is exactly like you. Harry told the doctor that I am Lucas's sister. I really couldn't just leave could I?" She sat beside her as Ros turned her attention back to her husband.

"Thanks."

"For what?" Ruth raised an eyebrow.

"If it wasn't for you I'd have lost him." Ros looked at Lucas' impossibly pale face. "I might anyway."

"Ros."

"I have two kids at home. I'm being realistic."

"Lucas is going to be ok. And you have nothing to thank me for." Ruth swallowed hard. "If it wasn't for me and my big mouth."

"Ruth, that self pitying BS does nothing for me. Were you carrying the knife? Did you push it through Lucas' skin? No. Therefore stop it. Stop blaming yourself. It does you or Lucas no good at all and honestly it just pisses me off."

"Sorry."

"Ruth."

"Sorry." Ruth rested a hand on her abdomen. "Seems your goddaughter agrees with you."

"Course she does. Sensible kid." Ruth raised an eyebrow as Ros smirked. Shaking her head Ruth tugged the faded denim shirt tighter to her as she stood up.

"Ros?"

"What?"

"We've got Sasha and Tessa isn't getting out of this one."

"Makes a change." Ros held Lucas hand in hers, glad that it still felt warm. "What about?"

"Harrison?" Ruth stared at her. "Zaf and Dimitri spent ages interviewing him. He was only too happy to sell his friends down the river. Look Ros, he even told them what happened when you were alone with him. The day we were abducted." She watched as Ros remained as stoic as ever. "I think it was a good job Dimitri was there or Zaf would have killed him. Do you remember anything?"

"Only what I told you." Ros tensed slightly. If Ruth hadn't known her better she would have sworn Ros was telling the truth.

"Ok." Ruth watched her for a moment. "Harry said he will never let any of the team hear the tapes. Zaf and Dimitri wont discuss it. When it goes to court none of Section D will be present when or if it is submitted as evidence. Do you want to hear it?"

"No." Ruth touched her shoulder before turning and walking out of the room.

"Well?" Zaf pushed himself away from the wall as Ruth closed the door. She shook her head.

"No change as far as Lucas is concerned. Carrie and Adam have agreed to keep the kids for tonight, I can't see her leaving him."

"What did she say about the tape?"

"She doesn't want to know. She can't remember and she is ok with that." Ruth shook her head as Zaf pulled her into his arms. "Harry."

"Is going to sort something out for the kids. It seems this is over. For now at least."

##############

The rain had finally abated when Harry parked the 4x4 in the quiet side street. The corner shop was closed but that didn't bother him in the slightest. Somewhere the sounds of dogs barking broke the silence. Harry sighed heavily, hoping Nick or Catherine had taken Scarlett for her walk. He jogged towards the closed door, dodging the puddles as he went.

"Ahmed." He smiled as the door opened.

"Is it safe for my boy?"

"Yes." Harry smiled. "Sayeed is safe. So is Hayley."

"The poor girl. In. Get in, Harry before you catch your death." Harry smiled slightly, knowing Ahmed would never know how close he had been to doing exactly that in the last few years. He followed the older man into the corner shop while a young girl no older than Nick appraised him.

"Sunita, go and tell mum that we have a guest. Sayeed will be home soon."

"Tonight." Harry watched the little girl's face light up.

"Really?"

"Yes." Harry couldn't help but return her smile. "Tell Gita her son will be home before the morning."

"You mean this? Gita has been worried. She knew what I did, how our friendship started but my boy." Ahmed shook his head.

"Is a brave young man. You should be proud."

"I am." Harry nodde as Ahmed spoke. "I am proud of all my children."

"For once I agree with you." Harry looked away as he thought of his daughter, son and step son. "A member of my team, Elizabeth will drop Sayeed home tonight."

"What about Hayley?"

"A foster family? Her placement is still unknown." Harry shrugged before turning away. He knew Ruth had been right all those weeks ago. Children rarely came out of these things unscathed.

"No." Ahmed paused. "She is 16. A young woman. She may stay here. For as long as she wishes. A guest of my family."

"Thank you." Harry shook his hand warmly before walking out of the shop, glad that at least one family were being put back together rather than being torn apart.

##############

"The money all went back to Sasha." Calum frowned as Erin handed him a coffee.

"Explains the black Saab that followed me a while back and how Dimitri and Erin were chased halfway around London by a black Saab too." Beth grabbed a biscuit as she spoke. Erin nodded.

"Yeah."

"Is it over?" Tariq asked as Malcolm sighed heavily. "No more chain bombs? No more people trying to kill us. At least for today?"

"Yes." Malcolm sighed. "I believe it is."

#######################

Beth pulled the car up outside the shop Harry had given her directions to. Sayeed opened the car door as he spotted his mum and sisters on the doorstep. Ahmed walked towards the driver's side of the car as Sayeed jumped out and engulfed his youngest sister in his arms.

"You must be Elizabeth."

"Beth." She corrected as she watched the scene in front of her. "This is Hayley." She motioned to the young girl sat next to her.

"Hayley." Ahmed nodded. "You are very welcome."

"Thanks."

Ahmed nodded once more before walking back to his familu. Beth sighed.

"You will be alright."

"So everyone keeps telling me. How the Hell do they know?" Hayley looked away. "I have no siblings, my parents and grandparents are dead."

"I know." Beth tuned to face her. "Because I've been you. You will be alright, and if you want." She handed her a piece of paper. "Call me."

"I might just do that."

"Ok. Just don't think the world is as bad as it seems right now. You will be fine." Beth smiled slightly as Hayley let out a breath.

"If you say so."

"I do." Beth frowned. "I do say so."

################

Ros ran a hand over her face, absolutely exhausted but knowing she would never be able to sleep. She stood up and brushed a strand of Lucas' hair away from his face. He was as pale as ever, the ink of his tattoos stood out more than ever against the alabaster skin beneath.

"Wake up." Ros kissed his forehead. "That is an order."

She rolled her eyes when there was no response. "Since when did I expect you to obey an order? Typical." She huffed before sitting back down. Lucas heaved a breath in front of her as the alarms on the various machines began to sound. The sense of dread in Ros' gut increased as the nurse bundled her out of the room.

"Lucas? " Ros almost whispered as she found herself engulfed in a bearhug. "What?"

"Ssh." Zaf mumbled. "You are my mate, thats why I'm here." She clung to him as machines and voices of doctors and nurses merged into one. Zaf held her tightly to him as she shook, the only outward sign that anything was wrong.

"Mrs North?" A young nurse popped her head out of the doorway. "Mrs North." Ros closed her eyes, not wanting to hear that her husband had died. She didn't need to be told what she already knew.

"Yes." Zaf answered, pushing Ros to arms length. He knew under normal circumstances she would have him posted to Egypt or Syria for merely holding her.

"Your husband is awake, breathing on his own and I think he needs to see you."

"What?" Ros frowned as Zaf smiled.

"Go on," He turned Ros away from him. "Go and see your husband." She nodded dumbly before stepping back into the room to see Lucas looking directly at her. She shook her head and smiled slightly before walking back to his side.

"Lucas."

"Hi."

"Hi." He held her gaze as she took her seat next to him. She took his hand in her own and stared at him, unable to believe he was actually talking to her, even if his voice sounded horse with the removal of the ET tube that had been there.

"See?" He croaked. "I do follow orders sometimes." He smiled at his wife as he moved his thumb and brushed a stray tear from her face.

"Makes a change." She smiled slightly. "For once."

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A/N ok I really do not like this chapter but I couldn't bring myself to kill Lucas off, hence the rewrites. Should I add an epilogue or go straight into the new fic? Provisonally called To Have and To Hold?


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